Court Orders Corrupt NHS Employee and ICT Supplier to Pay Back Criminal Proceeds

Published on: 10 Nov, 2017
Updated on: 15 Nov, 2017

A corrupt ICT supplier and the senior hospital official who asked him for a bribe in return for awarding a software contract; have each been ordered to pay back over £80,000 to the Royal Surrey County NHS Trust.

On November 21 2016, Peter Lewis, 58, of Windlesham, admitted receiving corrupt payments from Richard Moxon, 42, of Wybunbury in Cheshire in return for awarding him an ICT contract worth £950,000 in the first year. Mr Lewis was employed as the Director of Informatics at the Royal Surrey County Hospital at the time of the fraud (2011).

Following the sentencing of the two men on January 6 2017, Surrey Police financial investigators began the painstaking work of identifying how much each man had benefitted from the fraud, and what assets they had, in order to claim it back for the NHS Trust.

At a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) confiscation hearing on Friday November 3 2017, the court heard that Moxon had paid Lewis £80,970 in return for being awarded the contract. Lewis was not in court, but did not dispute the figure and agreed to pay the NHS Trust the money within three months.

Calculating how much Moxon had benefitted from the fraud was complicated by the fact that the trust had incorporated some of the intellectual property within the software into a new system in August 2012. Even when the value of this was accounted for, Moxon and his legal team agreed that he had benefitted to the value of £502,032.

Moxon had spent much of this income, so the court heard he only had only had tangible assets worth £81,168.69, and he was ordered to pay that sum within three months. The remaining benefit to Moxon will lie on file and he will pursued for it should he come into further money in the future.

Detective Inspector Matthew Durkin, from the Surrey Police Financial Investigation Team said: “Peter Lewis sought to greedily divert money from the NHS into his own pockets. While it was satisfying to see justice being served through a custodial sentence, it is more satisfying to see the money he made from his crime being confiscated from him and returned to the NHS where it belongs.

“Richard Moxon benefitted handsomely from his collusion in the fraud. This confiscation order forces him to give up substantial assets, including selling his home, in order to pay back some of what he owes. Friday’s court order will remain in place until he has paid back every penny, and we will be revisiting his finances in the future to make sure he repays what he owes.”

Alf Turner RSCH

Alf Turner, spokesman for the Trust, said: “In accordance with NHS and public service values, Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust expects its staff to act with honesty and integrity at all times.

“Lewis fundamentally broke these foundations, grossly abusing the trust placed in him as highlighted by this case.

“The actions of Lewis and his accomplice (Moxon) not only defrauded Royal Surrey but also took money away from the very people that we are here to serve.

“We are delighted that following the confiscation hearing these vital funds will be returned to the Trust and reinvested in the care of our patients.

“We would once again like to thank Surrey Police for their ongoing support in pursuing this matter to a positive resolution.”