Former NHS dentist sentenced in wake of £92,500-plus fraud

Shameli – formerly of Stable Lane in Worthing, but now resident in Sweden – was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment at Lewes Crown Court on 21 September 2026. If she enters the UK at any point, Shameli will be arrested and serve one-third of her sentence.

Shameli had previously been found guilty of four counts of fraud by abuse of position. She was found guilty of one count following a trial conducted at Hove Crown Court in September last year and was then found guilty of a further three counts subsequent to a trial at the same Crown Court in July. Shameli was absent for both trials and both verdicts.

She had pleaded not guilty to all charges at a pre-trial and preparation hearing carried out at Lewes Crown Court on 24 March last year.

NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) investigators will now use their powers through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to reclaim some of the stolen funds.

Fraudulent claims

Shameli made fraudulent claims to the NHS Business Services Authority while contracted to practice dentistry at Findon Dental Care. This included claims for work not carried out, claims for work carried out privately and claims for work actually carried out by a dentist in training. There was also the amending of dates on claims to improve a shortfall in Shameli’s targets.

The fraud was first detected in September 2015 when the Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group raised concerns about a prescription issued by Shameli that lacked any patient details and practice stamp.

In April 2017, Shameli was asked to conduct a self-audit of her claims for the period from September 2015 to February 2017. This was independently reviewed by NHS Dental Services’ clinical advisor, who identified around one-third of the claims as being inappropriate. The case was consequently referred to the NHSCFA for investigation.

In January 2019, Shameli was served with a Notice of Production of Information under Part 10 of the National Health Service Act 2006, requiring her and her members of staff to produce dental records from the practice. Since the practice did not keep paper records, the NHSCFA’s Digital Forensics Unit took a forensic image of the practice computer.

Michael Goodchild, dental advisor at the NHSCFA, examined the records and identified around 1,200 false claims relating to 848 patients. Patients informed the NHSCFA in interviews and witness statements that they had been treated privately or that the work had never been carried out.

Dental laboratories provided evidence showing that certain appliances had been claimed for, but never constructed.

In total, it emerged that Shameli defrauded the NHS out of £92,511.74.

Abuse of trust

Ben Harrison (head of operations and engagement at the NHSCFA) stated: “Fariba Shameli’s actions represent a clear abuse of trust placed in her as an NHS professional and undermine confidence in the NHS. By deliberately submitting false claims, she received substantial funds that should have been used to support patients who rely on NHS services.”

Harrison added: “The NHSCFA continues to adopt a robust and proactive approach towards tackling fraud, safeguarding public funds and upholding the integrity of NHS services.”

Ben Reid, specialist prosecutor from the CPS, explained: “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.”

Reid continued: “As an NHS dentist, Shameli was entrusted to safeguard the financial interests of this taxpayer-funded service and behave in an honest way. Sadly, her behaviour fell far short of this standard and prosecutors were able to paint a compelling picture of evidence showing that this was a deliberate and calculated fraud carried out for personal gain.”

In conclusion, Reid said: “The CPS will not hesitate to work closely with investigators such as the NHS Counter Fraud Authority in order to bring those who commit fraud to justice.”