Service user sentenced to four months for £9,000 travel claim fraud

A service user who was convicted of defrauding the health service by claiming over £9,000 in false expenses has been handed a 4 month custodial sentence at Enniskillen Magistrates Court.

At a previous court hearing Vincent Barlow (53) of Florencecourt, Enniskillen was found guilty of fraud by false representation and resisting police after dishonestly claiming travel expenses from the Western Health and Social Care Trust.

A Counter Fraud investigation established that between January 2013 and April 2015 Mr Barlow, who was availing of the Hospital Travel Cost Scheme, had submitted around 250 false claims for journeys from his home to the South West Acute Hospital by presenting fictitious receipts from a taxi firm.

Donna Scott, Assistant Director of Counter Fraud and Probity Services, Business Services Organisation, said: “Vincent Barlow’s actions were blatantly fraudulent and at a time when health service budgets face significant challenges any loss of resources to fraud is going to impact on services. In this case the amount of money dishonestly obtained could have been used for 10 cataract eye procedures.

“This sentence should send a clear message that fraud against the health service will not be tolerated.”

_{Picture (c) Brian Lawless / PA Wire.}