Prosthesis fraud at NHS: unauthorised implants and patient risk
Investigation into vascular prostheses in Murcia's health service reveals use of unauthorised implants and an overcharge of more than 650,000 euros.
Prosthesis fraud in Murcia: altered records prevent identification of patients at risk
The investigation into vascular prosthesis fraud in Murcia's public health service has expanded in scope, according to cadenaser.com. The case no longer concerns only potentially expired stents: it now points to the use and billing of medical material not approved by Health authorities.
The case file contains a report from the Health Department's Inspectorate, forwarded by the UDEF, which warns of a possible "serious health risk" arising from manipulation of medical material records.
At Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, unauthorised implants—such as vascular plugs or spirals—were billed at significantly higher prices, while a different product was used in the operating theatre. This practice generated an overcharge of over 650,000 euros and disrupted internal control systems.
Police indicate that the manipulation breaks the traceability of medical material. If the Spanish Medicines Agency were to issue an alert about a specific product, it would be impossible to determine which patients were carrying it, since the records show a different device from what was actually implanted.
The UDEF therefore emphasises that the case constitutes not merely economic fraud, but also a potential public health problem.
The case involves 13 suspects and remains open. The crimes being investigated include embezzlement, misconduct in public office, and falsification of documents in the management of medical material.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)