GP practice manager given suspended jail term for stealing £145k from her surgery
A former GP practice manager who stole nearly £145,000 from the practice she worked at has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Kellie Preece, 45, of Charter Road, Rugby, received her sentence at a hearing at Warwick Crown Court on Monday (15 September).
She was employed as a practice manager at Westside Medical Centre in Rugby, Warwickshire, and in her role, she had control of all banking, including salary payments and paying locum doctors when they submitted invoices.
NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) said that in January 2021 she began fraudulently obtaining funds from the practice by transferring money from the surgery to her own bank account, and that she hid these payments by labelling them as payments to others.
She paid herself salary increases and overtime payments beyond the agreed terms. These began as minor amounts but grew into significantly larger sums, none of which were authorised by the practice partners.
In total, Preece stole £144,864.13 from the practice. She attempted to cover the payments by creating ‘false invoices’, in the hope that they would go undetected, NHSCFA said.
She had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation at Coventry Magistrates Court on 15 August.
She was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, as well as 20 hours of rehabilitation. She will also be electronically tagged for four months.
Investigators at NHSCFA will now use their powers through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) to reclaim some of the stolen funds.
NHSCFA head of operations Ben Harrison said: ‘This case demonstrates how an individual in a position of trust sought to exploit NHS resources for personal gain.
‘By manipulating payments and falsifying records, Preece attempted to conceal her actions, but her fraud was uncovered. The NHS Counter Fraud Authority works to ensure that such abuses are identified and prosecuted, protecting NHS funds for patient care.’
