A former NHS employee who lied about graduating from the University of Oxford and fabricated references to secure senior roles has been jailed for four years.
Amran Hussain, 40, defrauded the NHS out of almost £170,000 after fraudulently obtaining 13 non-clinical posts across multiple NHS organisations, an investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority found.
Hussain was caught after applying for the role of Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Devon Partnership NHS Trust in 2021. Pre-employment checks revealed no record of his claimed employment as Director of Transformation at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust – which confirmed they had never employed him.
Further enquiries uncovered a sustained pattern of deception. Hussain claimed to hold MSc degrees from Oxford and Birkbeck, but neither institution confirmed he had completed his courses. He submitted false references – one from a fictitious referee, others linked to NHS email accounts he controlled – and falsely claimed professional memberships he did not hold.
Over time, Hussain applied for an astonishing 2,071 NHS posts. A recurring pattern emerged: he would take up a role, go on sick leave shortly afterwards, and remain absent until his contract ended or he was dismissed, undertaking little or no work.
Two additional charges related to roles he dishonestly obtained outside the NHS, including as a non-executive director at Nottingham CityCare Partnership and a commissioner of public health at Kent County Council.
Ben Harrison of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority said: ‘This sentencing shows that the NHSCFA will always pursue consequences for those who deliberately deceive NHS organisations. Such behaviour undermines trust in NHS recruitment and diverts public money away from frontline services.’
Photo: Markus Winkler
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