Fraud, error and corruption in healthcare: a contribution from criminology

This chapter will focus primarily on fraud, error, and corruption in the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales but, where useful, will make reference to international literature as well. It will offer a definition of fraud, but also highlight the fact that fraud and corruption are often used interchangeably to define the same act, which adds confusion to the complex matter of providing a clear definition of fraud. Once the definition has been clarified, there will be a review of the structure of the NHS and how it tackles fraud. This is followed by how we can measure fraud, and the estimated extent of fraud in the NHS. Finally, we review the contribution of criminology in developing theoretical frameworks to help us understand why people commit fraud and how to prevent it.