HOSPITALS in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are to be among the first in the world to come under the scrutiny of new anti-fraud inspectors.

All 14 health authorities and 62 trusts in the south east region will take a leading role in the ground-breaking scheme to counter corruption in the NHS.

The Department of Health estimates that fraud amounting to £105,544 has been committed in this region in the last four months alone.

Over the coming months counter-fraud experts from the south east region - which extends from Kent to Hampshire - will be specially trained at the new DOH counter-fraud centre of excellence in Reading.

Secretary of State for Health Frank Dobson said: "Local health authorities and trusts in the south east health region are to be among the first in the world to deploy specially trained and professionally qualified counter-fraud experts to ensure that taxpayers' money gets spent on patient care, not illegally diverted through fraud."

A spokesman for the Department of Health said the measures would target a variety of areas within the NHS.

He added: "For example there was a hospital manager, not in this area, who colluded with drug suppliers to get £25,000 worth of invoices for drugs they never sent. The suppliers were paid and he obviously got his cut.

"But both parties were caught and prosecuted. "Another example was a dentist who duplicated claims for patients by making slight changes to their names and stole around £70,000."

Peter Campion, a spokesman for Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We don't believe there's a problem locally and our auditors seem happy with our procedures.

"But anything that cuts down on the potential for fraud is good news because it means more resources for patient care."

Representatives from all 99 health authorities in England and Wales will start training in September and staff from all 375 NHS trusts begin next April.

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