PATIENTS and staff who scam the NHS out of £109 million a year are being tackled at hospitals across York and North Yorkshire this month.

NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (NHS CFSMS) will be visiting hospitals in York, Harrogate and Northallerton as part of its crackdown on fraud within the NHS - involving prescription fraud by patients and overcharging or false work claims by staff.

During October, the fraud service staff will meet employees in NHS canteens and receptions, spreading the anti-fraud message, raising the profile of the organisation and telling all staff and patients how they can help tackle the problem.

Patients who fraudulently receive free prescriptions, eye or dental care still cost the NHS £109 million a year, despite a reduction in the number of cases.

Although there are no exact figures on staff fraud, an NHS CFSMS spokesman said that one dentist alone in Nottingham fraudulently claimed £1.2 million for work.

The service will be at Harrogate District Hospital next Wednesday, at Friarage Hospital in Northallerton on Tuesday, October 14, and at York Hospital on Wednesday, October 22.

Health Minister Stephen Ladyman said: "Fraud is not a victimless crime; it deprives the NHS of the resources it needs to deliver patient care."

Between 1999 and 2002, counter fraud work cut patient prescription fraud by 41 per cent, dental patient fraud by 25 per cent, optical fraud by 23 per cent and, in some areas, fraud by NHS professionals by 18 to 30 per cent.

Bill Darling, chairman of the anti-fraud service, said: "Fraud in any public or private sector organisation is wrong and unacceptable but when it deprives valuable resources needed for patient care it is putting the nation's health at risk."

Incidents of suspected NHS fraud can be reported the Fraud and Corruption Reporting Line on 08702 400 100.

Updated: 08:33 Tuesday, October 07, 2003