East Kilbride GP manager who embezzled £155,000 ordered to pay back thousands

A former GP practice manager whose crimes forced a surgery to close has been ordered to pay back more than £40,000.

Jacqueline Rodger had admitted embezzling £155,012 from Greenhills Medical Practice in East Kilbride between April 2014 and February 2018.

An internal investigation showed Rodger, who had worked at the surgery since 2008, had been moving money to her own account disguised as dozens of fraudulent payments to locum doctors and office supply firms.

In her capacity as practice manager, Rodger had sole responsibility for the running of the centre, and she had access to the digital banking system account.

This included the day-to-day business accounting, payments for overheads, preparation of business accounts and payroll for staff and locum doctors.

But GPs at the practice became suspicious after discovering payments to locum doctors when none were on duty. When further financial inconsistencies became known, the police were informed.

As a result of Rodger’s criminal activity, the surgery’s partners were forced to cancel its NHS contract and close the practice after her crimes were revealed.

The 56-year-old, of East Kilbride, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment in October 2022 after pleading guilty to embezzlement following a successful prosecution by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).

At Hamilton Sheriff Court, she was ordered to pay a compensation order of £41,157 to the victim of her crime.

Kenny Donnelly, deputy crown agent, specialist casework, said: “This woman’s crimes caused significant disruption to a community’s GP services.

“This compensation order should serve as a warning to anyone involved in financial crime of any kind that we will not stop at prosecution.

“Even after a conviction is secured, COPFS will continue to use Proceeds of Crime legislation to ensure that funds obtained through embezzlement are confiscated and compensation awarded where appropriate to the victims of such crimes.”