Former employee jailed for defrauding National Health Service

The investigation found that Hussain (aged 40, of French Street in Westerham, defrauded the NHS out of almost £170,000 after fraudulently obtaining 13 non-clinical roles within NHS organisations.

On 24 July at Maidstone Crown Court, Hussain was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. He had previously pleaded guilty to three charges of fraud by false representation on 18 August 2025 at a hearing at Maidstone Crown Court.

Hussain was caught out after applying and being offered the role of deputy chief operating officer for urgent care/transformation and operations at the Devon Partnership NHS Trust back in 2021.

Pre-employment checks 

In his application, Hussain claimed to be employed as director of transformation and improvement at the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. Devon Partnership NHS Trust’s pre-employment checks on the Electronic Staff Record system found no evidence of this and the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust subsequently confirmed that they had never employed Hussain.

Further enquiries conducted by the NHS Trust revealed that Hussain had submitted false references in support of his applications. One of his referees was fictitious, while other references were linked to NHS e-mail accounts which he either accessed or controlled.

In his application, Hussain claimed to have been awarded MSc degrees by the University of Oxford and Birkbeck, University of London, including providing a certificate for the latter. However, both institutions confirmed that he did not complete his respective courses.

Hussain also stated in his application that he held memberships with several professional bodies, among them the Institute of Directors and the Chartered Management Institute. Enquiries found no evidence that he held any professional memberships.

Fraudulent employments

Hussain was found to have applied for no fewer than 2,071 NHS posts, with 13 fraudulent employments resulting in a confirmed financial loss of £168,072.41.

A recurring pattern emerged across Hussain’s NHS roles. Shortly after taking up post, he would go off sick and remain absent until his contract ended or his employment was terminated. As a result, he frequently undertook little or no work and did not acquire the experience claimed in his applications.

Two of the charges relate to roles he dishonestly obtained outside the NHS, as a non-executive director at Nottingham City Care Partnership, commissioner of public health at Kent County Council and digital transformation programme lead at the UK Health Security Agency.

Sustained pattern of fraud 

Ben Harrison, head of operations at the NHSCFA, explained: “This sentencing shows that the NHSCFA will always pursue consequences for those who deliberately deceive NHS organisations through false applications, fabricated qualifications and dishonest references.”

Harrison continued: “Hussain engaged in a sustained pattern of fraud, repeatedly misrepresenting his experience and qualifications to secure senior roles he was not entitled to hold. Thanks to robust checks carried out by NHS employers and the thorough work of NHSCFA investigators, this wrongdoing was uncovered and brought before the courts.”

Further, Harrison stated: “Such behaviour undermines trust in NHS recruitment processes and diverts public money away from front line services. We will continue to work closely with NHS organisations in order to strengthen recruitment controls, protect public funds and ensure those who abuse the system are held to account.”

*Further information is available online at www.cfa.nhs.uk