Surgery manager embezzles pension: Sonia Simkins, a 54-year-old GP practice manager from Dudley, has agreed to a seven-year bankruptcy restriction after failing to pay over £75,000 into the NHS pension fund for her staff. Simkins ran Hawes Lane Surgery in Rowley Regis as a sole trader before it closed in July 2024 due to a bankruptcy order.
The Investigation’s Findings:
– Simkins deducted pension contributions from staff wages but didn’t pay the money into the NHS Pension Scheme.
– The Official Receiver’s investigation couldn’t determine what happened to the missing funds.
– Between August 2019 and December 2020, and June 2023 and June 2024, Simkins should have paid £76,868 into the NHS pension fund, but only £1,722 was contributed.
– During this period, she deducted over £25,000 from employee salaries as pension contributions and failed to pay over £50,000 of employer contributions.
Still on Surgery manager embezzles pension
Consequences for Simkins:
– She’ll be prevented from managing a limited company for seven years.
– She can’t take out a loan over £500 without disclosing the restriction.
– She’ll be barred from working in some senior health service roles.
– The bankruptcy restriction will last until April 2032.
Impact on Patients and Staff:
– Hawes Lane Surgery closed abruptly on July 25, 2024, without notice to almost 4,000 registered patients.
– The Official Receiver worked with the Black Country Integrated Care Board to ensure patients received medical care at nearby surgeries.
– The care board also helped patients find new GPs before re-registering at another practice.
– At the time of closure, the surgery employed 10 staff members, including a GP and administrative personnel.
Official Response:
David Chapman, Senior Official Receiver at the Insolvency Service, said Simkins’ actions had an immediate impact on staff and patients in Rowley Regis. He emphasized that Simkins accepted her misconduct, and the bankruptcy restriction will prevent her from acting as a company director or starting a new company.
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