Jailed: NHS Trust manager who 'demanded £95,000 kickback' in return for awarding IT contract

NHS Trust manager Peter Lewis (left) received a kick-back form Richard Moxon
PA
Tom Powell6 January 2017
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An NHS Trust manager has been jailed for three-and-a-half years after "demanding £95,000 in kickbacks" for awarding a major IT contract.

Peter Lewis, 57, of Windlesham, Surrey, who was associate director of IT for the Royal Surrey County NHS Foundation Trust, pleaded guilty to receiving payments from Richard Moxon, 41, of Wybunbury, Cheshire, in return for awarding him the ICT contract worth £950,000 in the first year.

Moxon, who also admitted corruption charges, was jailed for 14 months.

Guildford Crown Court heard that the allegations came to light after Lewis had an affair with a female member of staff at an HR company leading to him being investigated for "unfairly favouring" the firm.

A search of his computer found a batch of emails that Mr Lewis had sent to himself containing invoices for the corrupt payments which were worth more than his annual salary.

The corruption also led to Lewis's wife, Sue Lewis, who was the trust's chief operating officer and deputy chief executive officer, quitting her role although there was no suggestion she was involved.

Judge Stephen Climie said the corruption was a crime against the financially-constrained NHS.

He said: "Those charged with the financial management of the system are holding the very purse strings that can ultimately prevent pain and suffering or even death of patients.

"That role of financial management within the NHS was held by you Lewis in part when you became associate director for IT at the trust in 2009."

The judge disqualified both defendants from holding the position of director for 10 years and said confiscation proceedings would be held at a future date.

Paul Ozin QC, prosecuting, said that the defendants had colluded during a meeting at an Indian restaurant to arrange the corrupt payments for the contract for a hospital's accident and emergency department.

He said: "Mr Lewis was instrumental in ensuring that Mr Moxon and the companies under his control received those contracts and that Mr Lewis sought and received corrupt payments from Mr Moxon in the sum of approximately £90,000.

"In return for those payments, Mr Lewis ensured that Mr Moxon continued to receive contracts from the trust."

He added: "It culminated in a meeting at an Indian restaurant. Mr Lewis said to Mr Moxon that he could see how the proposal was of value to the trust but he couldn't quite see how it would benefit him.

"Mr Lewis was dangling a carrot to see what kind of reaction he would get. He said this was normal practice at the trust and Mr Lewis said he wanted an amount from a monthly contract.

"Mr Moxon was surprised by the proposal but concluded the contract would not go ahead unless he made the payments to Mr Lewis."

Christine Agnew QC, defending Lewis, said: "This was very much a 50/50 business deal that was entered into quite willingly by both the defendants. The initial offer came from Mr Lewis."

She added: "His fall from grace has been spectacular, he was a hard-working man who has really sought for all his working life to succeed.

"He became obsessed and became a workaholic and allowed the fact he was in debt and working so hard to cloud his otherwise impeccable judgment."

Keith Mitchell, defending Moxon, said: "He has total remorse for what happened in this case, he's tried his hardest to make good the loss and somehow repair the damage done to the trust."

Additional reporting by the Press Association

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