Three NHS managers have been arrested over claims they blackmailed illegally employed colleagues, after it emerged an NHS trust had hired dozens and possibly hundreds of illegal immigrants.
An investigation by Channel 4 News found the UK Border Agency had uncovered hundreds of fake documents submitted to Kingston Hospital by staffing firm ISS, including security passes, national insurance numbers and passports.
ISS employs more than 40,000 people around the UK through contracts it holds with the NHS and blue chip companies.
It is understood that three managers have been arrested on suspicion of blackmailing the illegal immigrants, threatening to report them to the authorities unless they paid up.
An ISS company spokesman told the programme it would fully co-operate with police inquiries. He added: “ISS Mediclean has robust procedures for the correct engagement of employees, and as an organisation regularly conducts checks of all of our operatives across the country.
“These relate to the staff’s right to work in the UK, as well as identifying any national insurance irregularities.
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“These checks are carried out regularly. An internal audit at Kingston Hospital has been carried out within the last month.”
A spokesman for Kingston Hospital said it was not the only hospital found to have used ISS to employ staff.
