The NHS Counter Fraud Authority is a special health authority charged with identifying, investigating and preventing fraud and other economic crime within the NHS and the wider health group, formed on 1 November 2017 under section 28 of the National Health Service Act 2006.[2] It replaces its predecessor NHS Protect, which was part of the NHS Business Services Authority.
As a special health authority focused entirely on counter-fraud work, the Counter Fraud Authority is independent from other NHS bodies and as an arm's length body is directly accountable to the Department of Health and Social Care.
The departmental sponsor is the Department of Health and Social Care's Anti-Fraud Unit, which holds the board to account for the delivery of its strategy.[3]
The mission of the organisation is to lead the fight against fraud affecting the NHS and wider health service, and protect vital resources intended for patient care. It is intended to be the single expert, intelligence-led organisation providing centralised intelligence, investigation and solutions capacity for tackling fraud in the NHS in England. It acts as the repository for all information related to fraud in the NHS and the wider health group, and will have oversight of and monitor counter fraud work across the NHS.[3]
In the most recent publication of their Strategic Intelligence Assessment (SIA), the NHSCFA estimates approximately £1.346 billion in NHS funding is vulnerable to fraud, bribery, and corruption.
The vision of the NHSCFA is “Working together to understand, find and prevent fraud, bribery and corruption in the NHS”. As part of their three-year Strategy, which commenced in 2023, they set out four counter fraud pillars; Understand, Prevent, Respond, and Assure. These are also underpinned by two additional pillars; People and Resources.
The five objectives for the NHSCFA are:
これは、現在および将来の不正リスクを特定し、新たな脅威や問題に適応し、NHSおよびより広範な医療グループに影響を与える不正リスクに正面から対処することを目的としています。[ 3 ]
同組織の本部はロンドンのカナリーワーフにあるサウスコロネード10番地にあり[ 5 ]、ニューカッスル・アポン・タインのシティゲートとコベントリーのアールズデンパークにもオフィスがある[ 6 ]。