Independent Senator and cancer specialist John Crown has claimed the management and board of St Vincent's Hospital was involved in a a 'cover-up' of what he described as a fraud at the hospital.

He claimed some staff at the hospital had been deliberately charging health insurers for medicines St Vincent's was receiving free of charge.

Speaking under privilege in the Seanad, Dr Crown said said documents had recently come into his possession which 'show conclusively that there was a cover-up' by the hospital.

He said 'members of the staff of the hospital had been deliberately and fraudulently charging private health insurers in respect of cancer drugs which had been provided to that institution for free'.

Senator Crown alleged that this practice dated back to 2002.

He alleged an an investigation into the matter began but inexplicably halted and was then reformatted

Dr Crown called on the Seanad to bring the issue to the Health Minister James Reilly's attention.