NHS manager jailed for defrauding GP surgery

A former NHS manager has been jailed for three years for defrauding a GP surgery in High Wycombe.

Nabeel Asghar, 43, of Brands Hill, High Wycombe, was jailed at Aylesbury Crown Court last month.

Asghar served as the Practice Manager at Hughenden Valley Surgery on Valley Road, working on a contractual basis from November 2021.

His role included the day-to-day management of the surgery, including financial matters. With full access to the surgery's bank accounts via the Barclays online portal, Asghar was entrusted with the responsibility of managing finances, having his own PIN for access, along with a card and card reader.

However, an audit uncovered damning evidence revealing Asghar's fraudulent activities. Between May 30, 2022, and February 1, 2023, Asghar illicitly authorised five salary payments to himself, totaling £25,159.35, in addition to his legitimate salary.

Moreover, Asghar established a bank account under the name of NS Medical, utilising it to process legitimate invoices of the Locum Superintendent Pharmacist while fabricating new invoices under her name.

By inflating fees and pocketing the difference, Asghar conducted this deceptive scheme on fourteen occasions, resulting in a total gain of £44,182.67.

In total, Asghar's fraudulent actions amounted to £69,342.02. Consequently, his employment contract was terminated in March 2023 due to gross misconduct.

Asghar was arrested in July last year and charged on 23 November.

He was jailed at Aylesbury Crown Court on 28 March after pleading guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation at a previous hearing on 22 January.

The investigation was carried out by Thames Valley Police.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn of the Central Fraud Unit, said: “Nabeel Asghar abused the trust placed in him by his employers to systematically defraud the NHS of a substantial amount of money purely for his personal gain.

“His offences were sophisticated and pre meditated in nature involving the setting up of other bank accounts to facilitate the fraudulent activity, which was carried out over a sustained period of time.

“Wrongly, fraud is often seen as a victimless crime. In this case precious public funds were stolen and this effects everyone.

“This conviction and subsequent sentence shows how seriously these offences are taken by the courts and sends a clear message that Thames Valley Police will relentlessly pursue fraud suspects and bring them to justice.”