New NHS Hope for Abandoned Whitworth Patients
Following the discovery of Whitworth dentist, John Hudson’s fraudulent claims worth £300,000, the NHS has reassured his patients with promises of further NHS dental places available in the town.
The promise comes as a relief for Hudson’s patients who now have to seek alternative dentists following the fraudster’s guilty plea. Hudson pleaded guilty to 27 counts of dishonestly retaining wrongful credit and now faces sentencing in November that the judge warns Hudson is likely to involve a jail term.
Hudson had his own practice in Whitworth but for longer than two years he treated prisoners at Altcourse Prison in Merseyside as well, which is where he committed his crime. The fifty-eight-year-old was paid £130,000 per year by the country’s first privately-run prison but also fraudulently charged the NHS for the work he carried out.
Between May 2006 and July 2008, he fraudulently claimed £306,961 for his work at the prison. One-off payments reached £65,000 in February 2007 and regularly exceeded £11,000 each month between March 2007 and July 2008.
He is also accused of defrauding the East Lancashire Primary Care Trust of £32,000 for his work at his private practice but Hudson denies these charges. In total he stands accused of 34 charges but only pleads guilty to 27 of these.
Nevertheless, with the NHS’ assurance that Hudson’s abandoned patients will be able to find alternative dental health care within the town, the worry is now over for his former patients.
Head of primary care contracting for NHS East Lancashire, Sharon Young said, “NHS East Lancashire is committed to improving access to NHS dental treatment for its residents. There is capacity for more NHS dental patients in the area.”
Meanwhile, Judge Graham Morrow, QC, granted the dentist unconditional bail, but warned him he faced time in jail when he returned for sentencing in November.
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Greedy thieving person, as if any sane person could not live a priviliged lifestyle on his wages, deserves all he gets thieving from thousands of struggling tax payers.