NHS worker admits credit cards fraud

May 21 2008 by Jule Wilson, The Journal

A NEWCASTLE man who stole patients’ credit card details while working for the NHS will be sentenced today.

Stephen Wildgoose, 31, pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court last month to seven charges of fraud.

The court was told he had been working in the prescription pricing division (PPD) of the NHS business services authority at the time of the deception – between August and October 2007 – after a temping agency placed him in the job.

For two months, Wildgoose had been taking telephone payments for pre-paid prescription certificates, but the alarm was raised when a patient said an MP3 player had been bought online with the credit card details he had given to pay for his medication.

The NHS Counter Fraud Service launched an investigation which involved using recordings of phone calls Wildgoose had handled with patients.

The court heard that a number of the patients in the recordings had reported their card details had been used without their knowledge.

Officers from Northumbria Police arrested Wildgoose following a search of his property, which uncovered a number of items which had been illegally obtained.

Brian Alexander, managing director of the PPD, said: “We would like to apologise to any of our customers who were affected for any distress and inconvenience caused.

“We immediately removed Wildgoose from his duties and are committed to providing the best possible service to the public.

“We have reviewed all our relevant internal procedures as a matter of urgency.”

NHS counter fraud specialist Alan Stewart added: “NHS employees have a duty to be above reproach in their dealings with patients and Mr Wildgoose’s behaviour is completely unacceptable.

“When patients release information to NHS staff, particularly financial information, they have a right to feel their data is completely secure.”

Wildgoose will appear at Newcastle Crown Court for sentencing later today.

The case was investigated by the NHS’s Counter Fraud and Security Management Service, which was established to tackle fraud and corruption involving health service professionals, staff, patients or contractors.

Between 1999 and 2007, it prosecuted 422 cases, and last year its investigations produced savings to the NHS of more than £11m.