Health department to improve investigation of waiting list fiddles

The Department of Health is introducing a framework to be followed where there is evidence or strong suspicion of serious malpractice in relation to the reporting of waiting lists.

But it refused to say whether or not it had specifically asked the NHS Counter Fraud Service to investigate whether some managers fraudulently took bonus payments by claiming that they had met their waiting list targets when, in fact, the figures had been manipulated and their targets had not been met.

It is also going to issue new directions to ensure that NHS staff who take compensation packages from their employers pay back all or …