Two Indian-Origin Pharmacists Sentenced to Six Years for NHS Fraud
Jignesh and Rahil Patel received prison sentences for defrauding the NHS of £1.3 million through fake prescriptions.
The pharmacists submitted thousands of fraudulent prescriptions between 2014 and 2017.
Their scheme involved selling high-cost cancer medications in the EU.
Both men were also banned from serving as company directors for six years.
Two pharmacists of Indian origin, Jignesh Patel, 46, and Rahil Patel, 42, have been sentenced to six years in prison in the UK for their involvement in a fraudulent scheme that defrauded the National Health Service (NHS) of approximately £1.3 million. The duo was found guilty of submitting fake prescriptions to acquire medicines intended for resale in Europe, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The fraudulent activities occurred from 2014 to 2017, during which investigators uncovered 1,639 false prescriptions linked to 440 patients. The discrepancies came to light when the Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group noticed inconsistencies between the prescriptions filed by pharmacies and actual patient records. Most of the fraudulent claims were traced back to Wise Pharmacy, located on Fore Street in Edmonton, North London.
An investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority revealed that the pharmacy dispensed high-value medications, including Sprycel, used for leukaemia treatment, and Noxafil, prescribed for fungal infections in chemotherapy patients. Jignesh Patel, who directed Wise Pharmacy, also managed Actipharm Limited, a nearby pharmaceutical wholesaler. Rahil Patel had been employed at Actipharm since 2014, and prosecutors indicated that the wholesale business was utilized to sell the fraudulently obtained medicines to buyers within the European Union.
The fraudulent scheme impacted four NHS regions: Barnet, Enfield, Newham, and Tower Hamlets. Investigators identified 6,983 dispensed items involving 24 general practitioners, with hundreds of patients' identities misused without their consent. Prosecutor William Davis KC highlighted that the fraud cost the NHS and taxpayers around £1.3 million during the trial.
During sentencing, Judge Justin Cole emphasized that the fraud deprived the already overburdened NHS of significant funds and diverted essential medications for personal profit. Although no direct harm to patients was established, the prosecution argued that the scheme inflicted broader damage on the community. Both defendants were also disqualified from serving as company directors for six years and will serve half of their prison terms in custody. Following Jignesh Patel's arrest in December 2017, police seized £190,000 from his properties, and the NHS Counter Fraud Authority plans to recover these funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
