An Adelaide surgeon accused of making more than $65,000 worth of fraudulent overtime claims can now be identified as James Ian Spark.
The 56-year-old man, of Kingswood, did not appear for his first hearing in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today, where the matter was adjourned.
The former head of Flinders Medical Centre's vascular surgery unit has been charged with 25 counts of deception following a probe by the state's Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC).
The ICAC has alleged that the surgeon deceived SA Health by submitting false timesheets which claimed he had been recalled to the hospital to perform surgery.
In a statement, the commissioner said some claims were made for procedures with which the surgeon had no involvement; in others he merely offered advice to a more junior doctor but did not perform the relevant procedure himself.
Other claims were allegedly for procedures the surgeon did perform but in ordinary working hours for which he was already being paid.
The commissioner alleges that that in all but one instance the timesheets were certified and authorised by the surgeon himself.
The matter will return to court in September.
