An Epsom man who used false documents to get jobs as a mental health worker for the NHS has been jailed for six months.

Manveer Nasapen, 30, of Nimbus Road, pleaded guilty to three fraud charges at Guildford Crown Court, on Thursday, July 23.

Nasapen who had been a bank care worker at Surrey & Borders Partnership Foundation Trust since 2003 was convicted following an investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Service.

He was charged with two counts of obtaining a pecuniary advantage: one for gaining employment by using a falsely-stamped passport and the second for his later promotion using the same document along with false claims to have UK driving qualifications.

The third charge was an Identity Card Act offence. Nasapen was sentenced to 26 weeks’ imprisonment on each of the three counts, to run concurrently. He is currently in immigration detention.

The total cost of the fraud to the trust including his earnings is £93,086 and attempts will be made to recover this money from Nasapen under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Nicole McLaughlin, operational fraud manager South East, NHS Counter Fraud Service, said: “Nasapen got both his jobs, working with vulnerable patients, through deception.

"The public rightly expects the NHS to employ people of total honesty and integrity. Those who commit fraud against the NHS can expect to be prosecuted.”

In July 2003 Nasapen got his first job with the trust after showing his Mauritian passport with a student visa due to expire in October that year.

The following June he was promoted, but in September the trust questioned whether he was still entitled to work in the UK.

Nasapen produced copies of a new passport, supposedly issued the previous month, and bearing a Home Office stamp showing no time limit on his stay.

He worked for the trust again in January 2005 but when his passport stamps were checked with the Borders and Immigration Agency (BIA), it confirmed he had no leave to remain in the UK.

The following year he was promoted to senior support worker using the same passport and after lying about having a valid UK driving licence - which was mandatory for the post.

Nasapen was arrested in April this year by a joint unit of Surrey Police and the BIA.

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