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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." |
