Black Country GP surgery owner who pocketed £75,000 of staff's pension contributions declared bankrupt

The Official Receiver’s investigation found Sonia Simkins failed to pay £75,000 into the NHS pension fund despite diligently deducting contributions from staff.

 Simkins, 54, of Foxglove Way, Dudley, ran Hawes Lane Surgery in Rowley Regis as a sole trader leaving the practice vulnerable to her disastrous financial decision-making.

In July last year, 4,000 shocked patients were told to find alternative healthcare provision after a bankruptcy order against her forced the closure of the practice. Many elderly and infirm patients were forced to travel long-distances for their healthcare due to the closure. 

A subsequent investigation by the Official Receiver found Simkins had deducted pension contributions from staff wages, but failed to pay the money into the NHS Pension Scheme.  

Despite financial investigators best efforts the whereabouts of the money is still unknown. However, Simpkins enjoyed living the high life splurging money on holidays and luxury brands.

Earlier this month Simkins agreed a Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking (BRU), which prevents her from managing a limited company for the next seven years, taking out a loan of more than £500 without disclosing the restriction, or working in some senior health service roles.  

She accepted her misconduct

David Chapman, Senior Official Receiver at the Insolvency Service, 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."

Hawes Lane Surgery closed on 25 July 2024 with almost 4,000 registered patients receiving no notice of the closure.  

The Official Receiver worked closely 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. BCICB also ensured patients at the surgery had continuing access to a GP before being re-registered at a new practice. 

At the time of the closure, the practice employed 10 members of staff including a GP, and employees in receptionist and administrative roles.  

Between August 2019 and December 2020, and June 2023 and June 2024, Simkins should have paid £76,868 into the NHS pension fund for her staff, but only £1,722 was contributed. 

During this period, she deducted more than £25,000 from her employees’ salaries as pension contributions and failed to pay more than £50,000 of employer contributions.

Hawes Lane Surgery was beset with problems for several years before its closure, with patients often venting their frustration online. A common theme was the rudeness of Simkins and being unable to book appointments. One patient complained there were no appointments for 16 weeks. 

The Care Quality Commission demanded the surgery improvement after a damning inspection report in 2018.

There have been calls for Simkins to face criminal charges due to her conduct, with one patient complaining online: "If you miss a parking ticket these days the council will sue you so how can this woman run a surgery into the group, pocket £75,000 and get away with it."