Dr Fariba Shameli, who ran a dental surgery in Worthing, West Sussex, has sentenced to three-years in jail after defrauded the NHS out of more than £92,500, the BBC has reported.
Shameli was sentenced in her absence at Lewes Crown Court after being convicted of four counts of fraud following two trials. She is currently living in Sweden.
The court heard Shameli submitted 1,037 fraudulent claims for work between 2013 and 2018. The fraud included 158 claims for treatment she didn’t carry out and 532 claims for work done by others. The NHS began investigating when she issued a prescription without any patient details or practice stamp.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated it will attempt to recover the money and secure her extradition.
Judge Joshua Swirsky said: "The trial was about her lack of honesty. She contrived to keep money paid to her for work she had not carried out."
Ben Harrison, head of operations and engagement at the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, commented: "Fariba Shameli's actions represent a clear abuse of trust placed in her and undermine confidence in the health service.
"She received substantial funds that should have been used to support patients who rely on NHS services."
CPS prosecutor Ben Reid said: "Fariba Shameli systematically defrauded the NHS over a sustained period. For every pound of this fraud, a pound was taken from our NHS which could have gone towards patient care."