A former head of estates at the National Health Service has been found guilty of defrauding the health service.
Hasan Tahsin, 54, of Chadwell Heath in Romford, Essex, a senior manager who worked for 19 years within the NHS, has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and to perform 200 hours of unpaid community work for fraud, following an investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Service.
Tahsin, former head of estates and capital projects at Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, fraudulently earned £245,246 over five years between March 2004 and March 2009, as a result of making false claims about his credentials.
Following an audit of senior managers’ qualifications at the Trust, Tahsin was arrested and interviewed in May 2009. He admitted he did not possess the university qualifications and memberships of professional bodies which he had claimed to on his application forms. They were essential criteria for the posts he attained at five different NHS trusts.
Tahsin was charged with two offences of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception and three offences of fraud by false representation.
Investigating officer Alan McGill, of the NHS Counter Fraud Service, said: “It is regrettable that Tahsin managed to secure senior management posts within the NHS for so long. Such deceptions are the exception and the vast majority of NHS staff are of high integrity. This case demonstrates that when suspicions of fraud are brought to the attention of the NHS Counter Fraud Service, we will thoroughly investigate and, where fraud is found, will seek to prosecute.”
samantha.mcclary@estatesgazette.com
