Press Release
Operating department practitioner struck off for fraud
Monday, July 21 2008
Operating department practitioner (ODP), Christopher Webster, has been removed from the HPC Register for falsely obtaining donations from medical companies.
A panel of the HPC Conduct and Competence Committee heard that while employed by University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Mr Webster along with one other individual set up a private bank account named the ODA Professional and Technical Development Fund.
He then sent letters to medical companies on Trust letterhead asking for donations to the account so that several ODP’s from the Trust could attend the annual 2006 ODP conference.
Mr Webster did not attend the hearing held London. The panel heard from several witnesses and considered written documentation which included an interview with the registrant by the Trust’s Local Counter Fraud Specialist. During the interview Mr Webster admitted opening the account without the Trust’s permission and that he was virtually the only beneficiary of the donations made to the account.
Panel Chair, Ian Griffins commented, "The persistent and deliberate dishonesty over a lengthy period of time is a serious matter of concern and is likely to bring the profession into disrepute. By the actions of the registrant, he betrayed the trust placed in him by his employer and his colleagues."
The panel decided that the most appropriate action was to strike Christopher Webster from the Register.
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