Alum Rock dentist defrauded patients and the NHS in Droitwich, a court heard
Apr 22 2010 by Kat Keogh, Birmingham Mail
A “GREEDY and dishonest” Midland dentist defrauded patients and the NHS over five years, a court was told.
Birmingham Crown Court heard how Ikhlaq Hussain misled patients into paying “inflated” prices and lodged fraudulent claims to the NHS body which authorises payments to dentists.
The alleged offences took place at the 38-year-old’s practice on Blackfriars Road, Droitwich, between 2002 and 2007. Hussain, of College Road, Alum Rock, denied two counts of conspiracy to defraud, as well as furnishing false information and carrying out acts intended to pervert the course of justice.
The court heard how Dr Hussain’s business partner, 36-year-old Jaspal Singh Bachada, of Redlake Drive, Stourbridge, had pleaded guilty in relation to events at the Droitwich surgery, which the pair had bought in March 2002.
Tim Hannam, prosecuting, said: “They were greedy and they were dishonest.
“It is the Crown’s case that at the Droitwich practice they defrauded both the NHS and their patients. They agreed that Dr Bachada should treat NHS patients though in his history he was not permitted to do so.”
Mr Hannam told the jury that at the time, covered by the charges against Hussain, the Dental Practice Board operated a system “largely based on trust” in making annual payments to around 21,000 dentists.
(proceeding)
