A former dentist has been convicted of defrauding the NHS out of more than £92,500 by submitting more than 1,000 bogus claims for dental treatment over a five-year period.
An arrest warrant was issued for Dr Fariba Shameli, 54, who previously owned and operated Findon Dental Care in Worthing, and now resides in Sweden. She was found guilty at Hove Crown Court of fraud offences relating to NHS dental claims submitted between March 2013 and June 2018.
The latest convictions follow an earlier trial in October 2025 in which Ms Shameli was found guilty of one count of fraud by abuse of position.
She was acquitted of a second count at the first trial, while the jury was unable to reach verdicts on three further fraud counts, prompting the retrial that concluded on 6 July.
Across both trials, she was convicted in relation to over 1,037 fraudulent NHS claims worth a total of £92,511.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the fraud was driven by an attempt to avoid NHS ‘clawback’ arrangements, under which dentists may be required to repay funding if they fail to deliver at least 96% of their contracted Units of Dental Activity (UDAs).
The investigation, led by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, examined patient records, private dental laboratory records and witness statements from 13 patients and a trainee dentist.
The CPS said the evidence showed Ms Shameli claimed payment for treatment that had not been carried out, submitted NHS claims for treatment patients had paid for privately, claimed UDAs for work undertaken by trainee dentists, and altered treatment dates to increase claims within a particular financial year.
Ms Shameli, who resides in Sweden, did not attend either of the trials and was convicted in her absence. A warrant has been secured for her arrest.
Ben Reid, specialist prosecutor at the CPS, 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.
'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.'
Confiscation proceedings are under way under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover the proceeds of the fraud.
‘The CPS will not hesitate to work closely with investigators such as the NHS Counter Fraud Authority to bring those who commit fraud to justice,’ Mr Reid added.