‘Small number’ of fake references for agency posts submitted to the Northern Health Trust, board told
Concern over fake references for agency workers was highlighted to the Northern Health and Social Care Trust board following an alert earlier this year.
In his report at the last Trust board meeting, Paul Turley, a non-executive director, told members fake references have been submitted for agency posts with a “small number specific to the Northern Trust”.
Minutes of the meeting said that the Procurement and Logistics Service, the provider of professional procurement and logistics services to all public Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations in Northern Ireland, became aware of a “potential issue in relation to fake references” at the beginning of June.
“After investigation, an issue was identified in respect of multiple references,” it was stated. The report indicated the PSNI and Action Fraud, a national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, were contacted.
It went on to say all agencies which supply health care workers were told to review their pre-employment checks process and provide an assurance to the Procurement and Logistics Service in respect of their processes.
It was agreed all Trusts would “pause on-boarding for any new agency workers, registered and unregistered”.
Managers have been reminded of the “due diligence required to ensure identity checks are carried out when agency workers arrive on duty”, the report stated.
Separately, at the same meeting, members were told the number of disciplinary cases in the Northern Trust has “doubled in recent months”. At the time, it was reported that there were 44 “live” cases.
Jacqui Reid, director of human resources, indicated that although work takes place to “resolve things informally”, the number of cases has “crept up to almost double”.
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter