Bid to end prescription fraud

Prescriptions are being checked carefully for entitlement

The government has launched a new bid to tackle prescription fraud which is costing Northern Ireland's health service millions of pounds.

Nearly £10m was lost in the province in 2003 because people did not pay charges which were due for their prescriptions.

Health Minister Angela Smith said the money could have paid for 1,000 more cardiac operations or nearly 500 more nursing staff.

Ms Smith said dealing with exemption fraud was a major priority for her department.

"I would remind those who continue to evade health service charges they can be fined or even face criminal prosecution," Ms Smith said.

"Fraudulent claims are a significant drain on the resources available to the department and one which I am determined to stop."

Ms Smith said that in the past two years, 500 people had been taken successfully to the small claims court to recover health charges which they should have paid.

More than 800 fixed penalty charges had also been levied.

Health charge fraud involves not only prescriptions, but evasion of payment for heath service dental treatment and visits to opticians for eye tests or provision of glasses.

Commenting on the lost £10m, Ms Smith said: "This money could have been used to pay for 1,000 additional cardiac operations, 40 intensive care beds for a year or nearly 500 more nursing staff."