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one NHS A manager who embezzled more than £120,000 from his trust largely to fuel a gambling addiction has been jailed.
Alec Gandy, Senior Operations Manager, Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS TrustThe Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed an elaborate scheme involving fake casual worker accounts was orchestrated.
Gandy created fictional characters for his friend Matthew Lane and his ex-wife Kaylee Wright, a physician’s assistant and a paramedic respectively.
He then authorized the deposit of invoices totaling more than £123,000 into these accounts.
The CPS said much of the money was then transferred back to Gandy, 42, who wasted more than £92,000 on gambling and diverted a further £12,000 to his own business.
The fraud began in August 2022 and continued for 16 months. When the Dudley Trust discovered the illegal activity, they alerted the NHS Fraud Authority, who launched an investigation following Gundy’s departure.
A victim impact statement from the trust’s finance director, heard in court, highlighted that the stolen funds could significantly improve patient care and would be enough to cover the wages of four nursing staff for a year.
Gandy, from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday after admitting abuse of position to commit fraud.
His associates Ryan (44), from Evesham, Worcestershire, and Wright (38), also from Kidderminster, pleaded guilty to money laundering offences.
Lane was given a 12-month suspended sentence suspended for 18 months and 200 hours of unpaid work, while Wright was sentenced to an 18-month community order with 25 days of rehabilitation activity.
CPS specialist prosecutor Ben Reid condemned the actions, saying: “This case represents a serious breach of trust and the misappropriation of vital NHS funds intended for patient care.
Gundy abused his duties as a public servant, and Lane and Wright knowingly participated in the scheme to facilitate the fraud. ”
He added that the fraud was not victimless, caused financial losses and required an extensive internal investigation.
The CPS confirmed it would launch confiscation proceedings against Gandy.
Ben Harrison, head of operations at NHS Fraud, stressed the importance of the results: “This result recognizes the value of our robust and objective approach to ensuring that anyone who attempts to defraud the NHS is brought to justice. This was a carefully orchestrated scheme to divert significant public funds away from frontline patient care.”