Thieves and fraudsters stole £20,000 from NHS hospitals in the North East last year, it has been revealed.
An estimated £18,000 was lost to theft and fraud at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2018/19, according to new analysis of NHS Trust account data.
That puts it in the top 10 in England for fraud and theft losses last year.
The losses at South Tees hospitals involved 11 cases of cash loss due to fraud or theft, worth £7,000.
There were also 26 cases of fraud or theft causing loss or damage to property, worth a further £11,000.
A spokesman for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Every penny taken from the NHS through theft or fraud is a penny taken away from patient care.
"Although fraud and theft is only committed by a very small number of people, it can have a big impact.
“These crimes don’t go unchecked and we work closely with the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, the police and other agencies.
"This year we are also supporting International Fraud Awareness Week and its message is that everyone has a role to play in fighting fraud.”
In total, North East NHS trusts lost £20,000 in 47 separate cases of fraud and theft last year - and that’s only the cases that health bosses discovered.
In 2017/18, the figure was just £5,000 from 44 different cases.
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust saw the second highest losses in the region.
Both trusts lost around £1,000 each, with three cases at Newcastle hospitals and one in Sunderland.
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust recorded six cases of cash losses to theft and fraud in 2018/19, but they did not record any losses.
Across England, NHS Trusts recorded £1,295,000 in cash losses to fraud and theft last year, and a further £559,000 in property lost to fraud or theft.
That was up from £199,000 cash losses and £855,000 property losses to fraud and theft in 2017/18.
However, these are just the cases that trusts have discovered and marked in their accounts - the total NHS figure is likely to be far higher.
The NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) estimates the total cost of fraud in the NHS as £1.27bn in 2017/18.
The largest chunk of that was procurement and commissioning fraud (£351 million) followed by patient fraud (£251.7 million).
Procurement and commissioning fraud relates to collusion, corruption and bribery when trusts and other bodies buy things using NHS money.
Sue Frith, CEO of the NHSCFA, said: "Fraud is a hidden crime.
“Fraudsters can be ruthless and clever in their manipulation of systems and people. Although it is only a minority who commit these crimes, it has a big impact on NHS resources.
“We estimate fraud to cost the NHS £1.27bn a year- that is equivalent to over 40,000 staff nurses or over 116,000 knee replacements.
“Prevention work is key at the NHSCFA and we have a dedicated team of experts who review NHS systems and create guidance to mitigate the risks of fraud.
“We also work continuously to raise the awareness of fraud affecting the NHS by engaging with the NHS, stakeholders and the general public.
“This means raising awareness of how fraud is committed, how to report it, being positive about finding fraud and making sure those reporting it are supported and helped to do so.
“Any suspicion of fraud against the NHS should be reported to the NHS Fraud and Corruption Report Line via NHSCFA’s main website or by telephone on 0800 028 4060. Wherever appropriate, it will be investigated and prosecuted."