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NHS consultant forged
prescriptions
AN NHS consultant who forged
prescriptions in the names of family and colleagues to steal drugs has been
sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, 8 February 2016, following a
fraud investigation supported by NHS Protect. Martin John Royle, 44,
formerly from Liverpool, had earlier pleaded guilty to 11 offences; 2 of
fraud and 9 of Forgery and Counterfeiting. He was sentenced to 4 months
imprisonment, suspended for 2 years, and must pay £6,405 to cover
prosecution and investigation costs In September 2013, Royle was a
consultant cardiologist at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS
Foundation Trust, on Merseyside. He wrote and submitted a prescription for
Tramadol (a narcotic like pain reliever) which was really for his own use,
but naming a colleague as the recipient without their knowledge. The
incident was reported, and resulted in an investigation which revealed that
Royle had forged at least 11 other prescriptions, using the names of
colleagues and family members as the patient, which had been certified
unwittingly by fellow medical staff. Royle later wrote a letter of apology
to the Trust admitting what he had done, citing his addiction to pain
killing drugs as one of the reasons for his behaviour. Pauline Smith, Anti
Fraud Specialist, at NHS Protect, said:- "The NHS and its patients
expect the highest standards of integrity and professionalism from its
staff, and this behaviour fell well below those standards. Martin Royle
abused his senior and respected position as a cardiologist to steal from his
employer, and the seriousness of this offence is reflected in the sentence
today. All suspicions of fraud reported to NHS Protect will be followed up,
and investigated wherever appropriate."
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