An average of 20 journeys were faked EVERY DAY, and the scam lasted for more than 18 months. The minimum charge for each journey was £8.60. But some cost cashstrapped hospitals £109 a time.
In one instance Villas's fake ID was used to charge £73.20 to take a patient with lung disease just two miles home. In fact, the trip had been cancelled hours before because the patient was too ill to travel.
Our investigators were passed a secret file listing all the fraudulent journeys relating to Villas. We handed the evidence to the NHS, who called in their own detectives. Lewis Day subsequently agreed to pay back £281,894 to Imperial College NHS Trust.
Despite the fraud being discovered, Lewis Day will carry on working for Imperial College NHS Trust because it is tied into a contract. And there is no prospect of anyone being prosecuted.
Wow.
More and more the NHS is relying on private ambulance companies, initially for this sort of patient transport and increasingly for A&E work. (More on which later). Sadly I suspect that this isn't going to be the exception and I foresee other companies being caught out in a similar fashion.
The very interesting thing is that
Despite the fraud being discovered, Lewis Day will carry on working for Imperial College NHS Trust because it is tied into a contract. And there is no prospect of anyone being prosecuted.
I can say, with some certainty that if I were to be found guilty of fraud I'd, quite rightly, be out on my ear. So why isn't this happening to this company?
My suspicion is that it would cost the trust more money to run the contract bidding system again, that or someone in Lewis Day has a friend or two in high places. I can't see any other reason how such a serious fraud would occur without the police being informed. I mean, the LAS has issued guidance on the sort of kit that we can keep in our cars - it's a small list with such items as 'Latex gloves - three pair only', they would be a bit upset if I were to steal over a quarter of a million pounds.
And then, when I get caught, go 'oops - here, have it back - no hard feelings eh?', and head out to pick up my next patient with hardly a word spoken.
Here is hoping that the other ambulance companies take a long hard look at the way they run things and the people that they employ in order to prevent similar situations happening in the future.
