A CRIME-FIGHTING charity is taking over the running of an NHS Scotland whistleblower's service aimed at detecting fraud.
Crimestoppers is to be given the role at the NHS Scotland Counter Fraud Services Hotline in a pilot. It enables people in and outside the health service to tip off the authorities about fraud.
It also provides an external 'whistleblowing service' available to both the public and private sectors, which will be taking information on behalf of the NHS hotline from today.
The NHS hopes the involvement of Crimestoppers can ensure that appropriate anti-fraud measures are in place to reduce any risk of wrong-doing.
For the duration of the six-month trial, the telephone interviewing of callers and the online information service will be available to the NHS on a 24/7 basis.
The service is delivered by skilled call centre agents who deal with any matters relating to wrongdoing in the workplace, including human resources and health and safety.
The staff were hand-picked because of their high standards of interviewing and reporting skills on Crimestoppers' public-facing service.
They also receive additional training, which includes direct input by clients to help create familiarity with their business in order to ensure the most detailed interviews take place for every phone call.
Crimestoppers' commercial manager Kate Johnston said: "Along with protecting the identity of the public who give us information, client security is paramount to us at Crimestoppers. We are thrilled to be able to trial the service."
Gordon Young, head of NHS Scotland counter-fraud Services, added: "Crimestoppers are market leaders in this area and their record on maintaining the callers' anonymity is unsurpassed. This, combined with their professional approach to call handling, is a highly attractive proposition to us"
NHS Scotland has an annual budget of £11 billion, but says that only 1% of fraud would equate to £110 million being lost annually.
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