Nurse in court for fraud after being overpaid £32,000
Alan Clover was paid £32,151 more than he should have while working at St James' Hospital in Locksway Road, Milton. The extra £1,891 a month doubled his wages from the Portsmouth City Teaching Primary Care Trust over a period of 17 months.
The 42-year-old mental health nurse knew he was getting more money than he was supposed to but kept quiet in the hope of hanging on to the cash because of money troubles, Portsmouth Crown Court heard. Clover's scam was uncovered in January 2009 when a member of staff spotted the extra money on the payroll.
Prosecutor Kate Freemantle stated that initially he didn't realise that the payments were wrong. However, when the payments continued he realised that he was receiving far more than he should have done, but he put his head in the sand.
Kate Fortescue, defending, said the amount Clover received after tax was £15,700. She said he had a new job and was saving to pay the money back. 'It has always been his intention from the start when the charges came about to pay back the money that he was not entitled to.'
Clover, of Woodbury Grove, Lovedean, pleaded guilty to theft at an earlier hearing.
Recorder Anne Arnold said: 'These were public funds in essence, taken from a National Health Service trust with all the financial difficulties that confront such bodies at the current time. 'It was money taken over a considerable period of time and no steps taken by yourself until the problem was discovered by someone else. It was a very serious offence.'
The judge handed Clover a 30-month community order which will involve supervision from the probation service.
Clover was warned he faces going to prison if he does not pay back the £15,700 within three years.
Sam Willoughby, from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Counter Fraud Service, said: 'The majority of NHS staff are honest and hard-working, unfortunately there is a small minority who commit crimes against the NHS taking resources from patient care. The NHS is determined to root out any and every incidence of fraud involving the use of public money.'
Clover will now be investigated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and could face being struck off.
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Many thanks to Colin McCullough, Exemption Team Leader Counter Fraud and Probity Services, for sending in this article.