Former GP surgery manager ordered to repay £25,000 after defrauding Neath practice

Court hearings

Kimberley Wilson, 52, of Tabernacle Street, Skewen, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on 12 September for a compensation hearing. She was ordered to repay £5,000 at £200 a month for the next two years, in addition to the £20,000 she returned in July.

Wilson had already been sentenced on 7 August to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, along with 25 days of rehabilitation activity and 200 hours of unpaid work. She had pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position at Swansea Magistrates’ Court in May.

How the fraud was uncovered

Wilson was employed as practice manager at Castle Surgery, Neath, between April 2019 and March 2023, when she was dismissed for gross misconduct.

Concerns were first raised by the surgery’s accountants, who spotted irregularities in the books. An investigation by NHS Counter Fraud Service Wales found Wilson had been:

• Using the practice’s business bank account to buy personal goods
• Transferring money into her own account under references such as “petty cash” and “advance”

In total, she stole £49,213.08. A financial investigator obtained a production order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, which gave access to her bank accounts and confirmed the findings.

Gambling and personal spending

The court heard Wilson spent most of the stolen money on day‑to‑day expenses and to fund her gambling habit.

Emily Thompson, Counter Fraud Specialist at NHS CFS Wales, said:

“Wilson abused her position of trust to steal money that was meant for NHS patient care. Her actions were motivated by greed and represent a serious breach of the trust placed in her by her employers and colleagues. This outcome sends a clear message that diverting funds from the NHS is unacceptable and will result in serious consequences, including a criminal record.”

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