The Health Department intends to cultivate an anti-fraud and anti-corruption culture among service providers and suppliers within the healthcare system.

It is looking at introducing internal controls to deter fraudulent behaviour and making changes to policies, procedures and protocols that would minimise the risk of fraud and corruption, Health Parliamentary Secretary Joseph Cassar said yesterday.

The department plans to promptly identify incidents of fraud and corruption through regular on-site audits.

Every case of detected or alleged healthcare fraud or corruption will be investigated and referred to the police if necessary.

Dr Cassar was addressing the fifth annual conference of the European Healthcare Fraud and Corruption Network (EHFCN), at the Westin Dragonara Resort, in St Julians.

He said the government, which is a member of the network, is aware that if healthcare systems are to be sustainable, then resources must be spent efficiently and fairly.

Malta has recognised the need to understand the nature and scale of the fraud and corruption, or error, in every area of public health spending, Dr Cassar said, adding that this would allow it to set realistic targets and identify solutions.

Public health expenditure amounts to a high 6.4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), while total expenditure on health totals an even higher 8.3 per cent, according to the World Health Organisation national accounts.

Dr Cassar stressed the need for vigilance over these resources. The 25-country conference was on the theme of Integrity and Technology @ Work.

Fraud and corruption take a big bite out of funds earmarked for healthcare worldwide and Europe is no exception. EHFCN estimates that at least three per cent of European healthcare spending is lost to fraud and corruption every year.

It says these amounts "are being stolen by malefactors and denied to those for whom they were earmarked: the ill, the handicapped and the elderly".

Fraud and corruption range from bill padding to more sophisticated scams and life-threatening counterfeit drugs.

Established in 2004, the network coordinates and advances efforts to counter healthcare fraud and corruption in Europe. It offers members the possibility of closer cooperation in dealing with potential increases in cross-border fraud and corruption.

By working together, they aim at fraud-proofing European healthcare systems thus freeing billions of euro into the healthcare services.