Bogus Dentist Faces Time In Jail For Fraud

Thu, 30 Sep 2010

A woman who spent nine years posing as a qualified NHS dentist has admitted using a forged degree certificate to build her career.

Vinisha Sharma from Willenhall, West Midlands, was employed at various NHS hospitals across the country as a senior house officer after falsely claiming to have achieved a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree in India.

The 37-year-old wrongly claimed to have studied for the qualification at the Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Amritsar.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how Sharma had studied dentistry during the early-1990s but failed her exams.

In 2000, she registered with the General Dental Council using the forged degree certificate, and then went on to work at six NHS trusts over a nine-year period.

During this time, she carried out a wide range of duties including examining patients, carrying out minor surgical procedures and dealing with trauma alongside senior consultants, earning her a total of around £230,000.

She was charged after an investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Service in 2008 probed her background and discovered her lies.

Yesterday (September 29) she pleaded guilty to one count of using a false instrument, five counts of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception, and one count of fraud by false representation.

The case was adjourned for the preparation of pre-sentence reports until the week beginning October 18, but the judge warned her that she is likely to spend time in prison.
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