A WEALTHY Egyptian businessman accused of travelling to London to obtain free health care for more than a decade has had all his assets frozen and been barred from leaving Britain.
Albert Girgis, 71, is facing claims that he duped doctors into giving him £55,000 worth of free treatment for a heart condition as he travelled between homes in west London and Cairo.
Mr Girgis, an importer and exporter, was visited at one of four apartments owned by his family in Kensington, west London, by NHS investigators on Tuesday after an international counterfraud operation.
Lawyers working for the NHS issued him with an order freezing his assets and forcing him to surrender his passport pending a court hearing next week.
Mr Girgis is believed to be the first so-called “NHS tourist” to face such legal action over alleged abuse of the health service, which he is said to have used for more than 13 years. It is alleged tha he received thousands of pounds worth of surgery and drugs, undergoing free treatment at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, the Hammersmith Hospital, the Royal Brompton and the Royal Marsden.
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On his visits to the country, Mr Girgis received cardiothoracic treatment from several of Britain’s top specialists.
Investigators tracked down his address in Cairo, where he owns a penthouse apartment.
It is alleged that Mr Girgis has been travelling between the two capitals with the specific purpose of receiving free NHS treatment for his heart problems since 1992.
Officials from the NHS Counter Fraud Service said that the Egyptian had told doctors at hospitals he was a British resident and entitled to free care.
Mr Girgis faces a civil action for allegedly defrauding the NHS by unlawfully obtaining free services. The NHS is claiming £55,000 including legal costs.
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The freezing order prevents the businessman from disposing of any assets up to the value of the NHS civil claim and costs.
When approached by The Times yesterday outside the £2 million block of apartments where he is staying with his sister, Mr Girgis said that he was sorry for what had occured. Looking tired and leaning on his sister’s arm, he said: “I’m sorry. I will pay it back before next week.”
The National Counter Fraud Service said that it was the first time such an order had been obtained by the NHS. Jim Gee, chief executive of the NHS Counter Fraud Service, said that the move against Mr Girgis showed that such alleged fraud would not be tolerated.“We will not allow NHS resources to be plundered by those who should and can pay for their treatment. Such people should expect tough action to be taken against them,” he said.
John Reid, the Health Secretary, has vowed to clamp down on foreigners fraudulently claiming NHS treatment, but some doctors are reluctant to help, insisting it is not their job to police the system.