Bogus Healthcare Professionals
November 26, 2024
When Sarah Whitaker approached an introductory care agency to find a carer for her 89 year old father she expected they would refer a suitably qualified and professional carer. Instead, Sarah was 'horrified' to discover that an unqualified imposter had been in her fathers home for almost three weeks!
Unfortunately Sarah's story, reported by Sky News, is not as uncommon as one might expect. In January 2024, a man admitted impersonating a nurse and accessing resuscitation and children's areas at a hospital in Glasgow (BBC News).
SAFE has experience of dealing with a number of similar cases where an unqualified imposter had been found to be working in place of the qualified professional that was expected.
There can be a number of reasons why an imposter may report for duty:
- to commit further offences of theft and/or fraud, or to cause physical harm including sexual offences.
- because they are being controlled by an Organised Crime Group (OCG) or exploited by individuals as victims of modern slavery.
- because they can't work in a healthcare setting using their own identity, perhaps due to previous criminal convictions, or because they have no right to work in the UK.
Whatever the reason, failing to identify and sanction these imposters and those that facilitate them, places patients, the people we hold most dearly, at risk of harm. At SAFE we are experienced at working with professional regulatory bodies and the Police to bring the perpetrators to justice.
SAFE has produced the following quick guide to highlight the problem of people impersonating medical professionals.
Our highly experienced team of professional investigators are able to help organisations ensure that they have robust checks in place to prevent and identify this type of crime.
Get in touch to discuss how we can help protect patients from imposters who claim to be healthcare professionals.
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Section 199 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) introduced a new corporate offence that significantly raises the bar on fraud risk management. Large organisations can now be criminally liable if an employee, agent, or other associated person commits fraud for the organisation’s benefit—and the organisation did not have reasonable fraud prevention procedures in place. This is a strict liability offence. Prosecutors do not need to prove senior management knowledge or intent. If fraud occurs and the organisation cannot demonstrate an adequate prevention framework, liability follows. The only defence: reasonable procedures The sole statutory defence is that the organisation had reasonable procedures in place to prevent fraud, or that it was reasonable not to have such procedures. In practice, regulators have made clear that “reasonable” will be interpreted robustly. Organisations should be acting now to: Conduct a documented fraud risk assessment covering business models, revenue streams, incentive structures, third-party exposure, and jurisdictional risk. Design proportionate prevention controls aligned to identified risks, including financial controls, approval thresholds, segregation of duties, and oversight of agents and intermediaries. Set the tone from the top , with clear board ownership, senior accountability, and demonstrable commitment to fraud prevention. Implement targeted training and communications so employees and associated persons understand fraud risks, red flags, and reporting routes. Maintain monitoring, reporting, and review mechanisms , including whistleblowing channels, audits, and periodic reassessment as the business evolves. Evidence everything . Policies without implementation, or controls without records, will not support a defence.
Thank you to everyone who attended one of our fraud prevention webinars in 2025. For those who missed them, you can now watch all the recordings at your convenience on the SAFE YouTube channel. Whether you want to find out more about the drivers of fraud, or explore strategies for preventing emerging threats such as dual employment and imposter fraud, we've got a webinar for you. All the links you need are below, and we've included links to additional resources available elsewhere on the SAFE website.
SAFE – Security and Fraud Experts and Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust are proud to be part of Project WISE (Workforce Integrity and System Efficiency), a proactive initiative using data and advanced analytics to strengthen fraud detection across the NHS. The NHSCFA estimates that £1.346 billion of NHS funding is vulnerable to loss through fraud, bribery and corruption in England. With fraud posing a significant risk to NHS resources each year, we’ve joined forces with the NHS Counter Fraud Authority and four other NHS organisations across the South East and South West to pilot this first-of-its-kind initiative. The pilot is helping to identify emerging fraud risks and patterns, turning complex data into actionable intelligence that supports local and regional counter fraud teams.
