Dentist jailed for £200,000 fraud

A dentist who defrauded the NHS of £200,000 has been jailed for 18 months.

Shabbir Merchant, 40, pretended to carry out expensive dental work on hundreds of patients when all he gave them was an occasional filling.

He used the money to fund a life of luxury, splashing out on a Ferrari and a string of properties, a court heard.

Merchant pleaded guilty to 20 sample counts of obtaining money transfers by deception between September 1998 and August 2003.

Southwark Crown Court was told that Shabbir Merchant made 842 claims for fictitious dental treatment to more than 200 patients from his north London practice.

'Systematically plundered'

Stuart Sampson, prosecuting, said his claims for capping and other high-value cosmetic work saw him "systematically" plunder National Health Service resources to the tune of £197,997.78.

He said suspicions were first aroused in early 2003 when officials asked to inspect 20 patient files involving multiple claims over a short period.

Almost immediately, the defendant wrote back claiming he had been burgled the previous day and three years of paperwork had been stolen.

Fortunately, said the barrister, further information led to the inquiry being reopened and as a result, the "missing paperwork" was recovered.

Merchant partly blamed his dishonesty on the frustration caused by a system that penalised conscientious practitioners like himself who carried out work properly, but let colleagues who rushed through their appointments make fortunes.

Outside court David Foley of the NHS Counter Fraud Service welcomed the jail term.

"Shabbir Merchant led an extravagant lifestyle on taxpayers' money. His deceit meant NHS dentistry was deprived of much-needed resources," he said.

"Today's sentence fits the crime. He stole a significant amount of money and is now paying the price for his actions."