Surgery manager deducted money from staff wages but failed to pay it into NHS pension scheme
Source: gov.uk (2025-04-14)

Sonia Simkins faces seven years of bankruptcy restrictions following an investigation by the Insolvency Service.

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

Seven-year restrictions prevent Simkins from starting a new company or being a company director

Hawes Lane Surgery in Rowley Regis closed after a bankruptcy order was made against Simkins

A GP practice manager who failed to pay more than £75,000 into the pension funds of staff at her surgery now faces seven years of bankruptcy restrictions.

Sonia Simkins, 54, of Foxglove Way, Dudley, ran Hawes Lane Surgery in Rowley Regis as a sole trader. But in July 2024, the practice closed after a bankruptcy order was made against her.

Following the order, an 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.

Investigations by the Official Receiver have been unable to confirm exactly what happened to the money.

On 3 April 2025, 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.

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.

Further information

Sonia Simkins is of Foxglove Way, Dudley. Her date of birth is 24 November 1970.

Details of the case are available online on the Individual Insolvency Register (https://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/IESdatabase/viewbrobrudetail.asp?courtnumber=13%20of%202024).

Bankruptcy restrictions are wide ranging. A Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking (BRU) allows a bankrupt person suspected of misconduct to accept restrictions without needing to go to court. Accepting a BRU can also lead to a shorter time period of restrictions.

More information is available on bankruptcy restrictions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bankruptcy-additional-effects-of-a-bankruptcy-restrictions-order-or-undertaking), including the full list of rules around orders and undertakings.