Northumbria University is leading a major research initiative aimed at tackling fraud across the NHS in England, in a bid to protect public funds, restore confidence, and improve healthcare delivery.
The study, titled SCAN (Strengthening Counter Fraud across the NHS in England), is backed by nearly £900,000 in funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). A collaborative effort between researchers at Northumbria, Cardiff, and Manchester universities, the project focuses on enhancing how the NHS detects, prevents, and responds to fraud.
The NHS is estimated to lose up to £1.3 billion annually to fraud, ranging from procurement scams and bogus treatment claims to forged qualifications and timesheet abuse by staff. This figure represents a serious threat to healthcare provision, especially amid increasing demand on services and budgetary pressures.
The SCAN team brings together expertise in law, criminology, medical sociology, and business, with the aim of improving the fragmented approach currently taken to counter-fraud efforts across NHS England. With a mixture of in-house and outsourced fraud teams operating inconsistently across regions, the current system lacks cohesion, making coordinated responses difficult.
Dr Cerian Griffiths of Northumbria Law School, co-leading the project with Professor Tim Rapley, stressed the importance of safeguarding NHS resources. She noted that every pound lost to fraud is a pound taken from frontline patient care.
The study will involve interviews, focus groups, and surveys with NHS staff, policy makers, and counter-fraud professionals to assess current practices. The research will map existing anti-fraud strategies across national, regional, and local bodies and develop practical tools, training programmes, and policy recommendations for a more unified and efficient approach.
Public engagement will also play a central role. A dedicated Public Stakeholder Advisory Group will ensure the final outcomes are aligned with the needs and concerns of both NHS staff and patients.
Professor Tim Rapley, based in Northumbria’s Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing, underlined the value of co-producing solutions with those on the ground. He emphasised that meaningful collaboration will lead to long-term improvements in fraud resilience across the NHS.
The project has been endorsed by national health leaders. Alex Rothwell, Chief Executive of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, praised the research’s interdisciplinary approach, while Lisa McAlister of NHS Business Services Authority called the initiative timely given ongoing financial strain. Sean McNabb from the Competition and Markets Authority also welcomed the study’s potential to reinforce public sector accountability.
Research findings will be disseminated widely through reports, conferences, and public engagement events up to 2027. The long-term goal is to build a unified and effective NHS counter-fraud framework that ensures public money is spent where it is most needed—on patient care.
The full SCAN team includes Professor Tom Sanders and Emeritus Professor Jacqueline Harvey from Northumbria, Alan Doig from Cardiff University, and Professor Nicholas Lord and Dr Katie Benson from the University of Manchester.
To learn more about the study and its impact on NHS fraud prevention, visit the SCAN project website.
