Dentist ‘stole £1.4million from NHS by pretending she had fitted dentures to dead patients¿

By
Sophie Borland

13:10 EST, 22 June 2012

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18:29 EST, 22 June 2012



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Dentist Joyce Trail, 50, allegedly claimed around £1.4 million from the NHS in false invoices for dentures she didn't fit

Dentist Joyce Trail, 50, allegedly claimed around £1.4 million from the NHS in false invoices for dentures she didn’t fit

A dentist conned the NHS out of £1.4million with thousands of false claims – including fitting false teeth on patients who were actually dead, a court heard.

Joyce Trail filed more than 7,000 invoices for work she had never done and used the money to travel around the world.

In fact the 50-year-old had not even met most of the patients and many were dead, it was claimed.

Trail is alleged to have obtained patients’ names and addresses by contacting care homes to advertise her services.

She then included these details on invoices submitted to the NHS, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Miranda Moore QC, prosecuting, said investigators ‘smelt a rat’ after trawling through the dentist’s files at her surgery in Handsworth, Birmingham.

She said Trail’s American Express credit card bill was ‘vast’ compared to what she could legitimately have been earning at the practice.

Miss Moore told the court: ‘It meant that the practice received in the order of £1.4million that it should not have done but, moreover, Dr Trail then siphoned off money which enabled her to live a lavish lifestyle, spending money far in excess of anything she was declaring to the Inland Revenue.

‘She was globetrotting, spending time in very exotic locations and doing this on a relatively modest declared salary.

‘Her American Express bill was vast compared to what she was legitimately making from the business. But of course, when it is other people’s money it is very easy to spend it.

Trail has been suspended from the Birmingham practice where she is accused of one of the biggest alleged NHS frauds in the history of the health service

Trail has been suspended from the Birmingham practice where she is accused of one of the biggest alleged NHS frauds in the history of the health service

‘This was other people’s money, it was the National Health Service’s money.

‘She doubled and tripled claims for
people that she had actually treated and then she used patient details
which had been quite unwittingly supplied to her by nursing homes to
claim for people that she had never even met.’

Miss Moore also told the court that
more than 100 claims related to patients who were dead. She said: ‘She
claimed against  the NHS, and was paid a great deal of money for
treatment she had not performed.

‘Not just a few claims but something
in the order of £1.4million of false claims, false dishonest claims
backed up by false dishonest paperwork.

Despite suspending Trail from the surgery at Handsworth, it is still taking on new patients

Despite suspending Trail from the surgery at Handsworth, it is still taking on new patients

‘There were over 100 claims for
fitting dentures or taking impressions for people who were dead at the
times the claims were made.

‘We are not suggesting that she
actually was fitting dentures to dead people but she was simply claiming
that she was.’ Trail is accused of conspiring to defraud the NHS.

Her 46-year-old sister Fiona, from
Halesowen, and her daughter Nyri Sterling, 33, from Oldbury in the West
Midlands – who were employed as administrative staff – are accused of
helping to perpetrate the fraud.

Trail and her sister also face a further charge of perverting the course of justice during April 2009.

All three deny the charges and the trial is expected to last five weeks.

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The comments below have been moderated in advance.

There are people suffering pain and others with illnesses such as cancer having to do without treatment because of people like her ……………………… shame on you, madam! It’s time this ‘if I can get away with it attitude’ became unacceptable. She’ll be made to pay it back???? I hope this destroys her business – cheats don’t deserve to succeed.

If I were faced with a dentist who liked like her I would make an excuse and leave immediately like a News of the World reporter.
– Eric Legge, Ongar, England, 22/06/2012 06:31 PM
It always has to be about the looks doesn’t it! I’ll love to see what you look like or hear what people have to say about what you look like.

That’s why dentists wear masks – its highway robbery and they don’t want to be recognised in the street!!!

Jail her and ban her from practising indefinitely.

Surprise, surprise….

How on earth could this be allowed to happen… bearing in mind that there are probably another 100 of these cases flying under the radar. Oh dear… living in the UK is like pulling teeth!

She is no better than a burglar or benefit thief. Actually, she’s worse because she had chances in life that some people can’t even imagine.

Disgusting behaviour! Do they not get paid enough?

Must have been hard taking the impressions!

All that money and can’t get a good weave?!

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