The Insolvency Service has placed bankruptcy restrictions against GP practice manager, Sonia Simkins, after its investigation found that she had failed to pay contributions into NHS pension scheme on behalf of her staff, despite deducting contributions.

The Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking (BRU), which will last for seven years, means that she cannot manage a limited company, must disclose the restriction when applying for credit over £500 and is barred from holding certain senior roles in the health service.

According to the Insolvency Service, Simkins deducted pension contributions from her employees’ wages but failed to pay the money into the NHS pension scheme, resulting in more than £75,000 going unpaid.

Simkins ran Hawes Lane Surgery in Rowley Regis as a sole trader. On 25 July 2024, the practice closed following a bankruptcy order made against her, affecting around 4,000 registered patients and 10 staff members, including a GP and administrative workers.

Following the bankruptcy order, an investigation by Insolvency Service senior official officer, David Chapman, found that Simkins had deducted more than £25,000 from her employees’ wages in pension contributions and failed to pay more than £50,000 in employer contributions.

In total, she should have paid £76,868 into the NHS pension fund but contributed only £1,722.

However, investigations by the official receiver have been unable to confirm exactly what happened to the money.

Commenting on this, Chapman said: “Sonia Simkins deducted pension contributions from her staff’s wages, but failed to pay more than £75,000 into the NHS pension fund - while the closure of Hawes Lane Surgery had an immediate impact on staff and patients in Rowley Regis.

"Following an Insolvency Service investigation by the official receiver, Simkins accepted her misconduct. The BRU will prevent her from acting as a company director or starting a new company until April 2032."

On the day of the closure, Chapman worked with the Black Country Integrated Care Board (BCICB) to ensure patients arriving for appointments that day were provided with appropriate medical care at nearby surgeries.
 
The BCICB ensured patients at the surgery had continuing access to a GP before being re-registered at a new practice.

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