Latest news with #DavidHurst
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Perth Now
Dentist's dodgy acts before death
A dentist who was convicted of fraud in the UK allegedly pressured Australian patients to take tens of thousands of dollars from their superannuation for unnecessary dental work and then withdrew millions from his business before he died of suicide. Former Perth Dental Rooms director David Hurst, 43, took his own life on December 10 last year at the Crown Perth, leaving a path of destruction and a business on the brink of bankruptcy. Lawyers allege Dr Hurst withdrew $7m from the Perth practice before he took his own life. Convicted fraudster David Hurst, pictured with wife Clara, allegedly defrauded patients before his death. There is no suggestion Clara was involved in any wrongdoing. Facebook Credit: Supplied Dr Hurst was previously convicted of defrauding the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK over forged patient declarations. The Cardiff Crown Court found that Dr Hurst stole £15,584 ($A35,553) by submitting fraudulent patient claims while he worked at the Bridgend Dental Centre. He pleaded guilty to 69 counts of theft, receiving a suspended sentence and order to perform 200 hours of community service, in 2012. Two years later he was banned from practising dentistry in the UK by a professional conduct committee. Law firm Slater and Gordon believes about 130 victims were treated by Dr Hurst. Credit: News Limited But the dentist relocated to West Australia, where he was permitted to practise dentistry despite his criminal record. He became a director at the Perth Dental Rooms, where he allegedly defrauded patients before his death. Legal firm Slater and Gordon is representing 20 of Dr Hurt's former patients whom he allegedly persuaded to use their superannuation to pay for expensive and often unnecessary treatments. The lawyers allege some patients paid more than $70,000 upfront for procedures that never occurred and have yet to be reimbursed. Medical law practice leader Sarah Marshman said patients had suffered financial loss, emotional distress and ongoing pain caused by reckless, unfinished and, in some cases, unnecessary dental work. She said the firm heard from patients who were in constant pain, had broken implants, infections and untreated complications. Dr Hurst allegedly withdrew $7m from his business before he took his own life in December. Facebook Credit: Supplied 'For many patients, accessing their superannuation early seemed like a smart way to fund dental treatment,' she said. 'But now they've lost tens of thousands from their retirement savings and are still in pain – physically, financially and emotionally. 'These patients weren't just sold dental procedures. They were sold false hope through aggressive social media advertising and quick access to super. 'They were encouraged to dip into their retirement savings without any real understanding of the tax penalties or medical risks involved.' Ms Marshman urged Australians to think twice before being pressured by aggressive advertising to use super for medical or dental work. Law firm Slater and Gordon urges anyone who was treated or consulted by Dr Hurst to contact them. Credit: Supplied 'We're continuing to gather evidence for a growing number of affected patients and will be seeking accountability for the harm caused,' she said. 'We believe there could be over 130 former patients affected.' An administrator was appointed to Hurst Group Pty Ltd, which traded as the Perth Dental Rooms, in March this year after Dr Hurt's wife Clara stepped in as director. There is no suggestion that she was involved in any wrongdoing. The West reported the Perth Dental Rooms was sold in May but proceeds from the sale were not enough to cover its liabilities. It was reported $2.3m in payments made by patients in advance remain unaccounted for by the Hurst Group. Ms Marshman urged anyone who was treated or consulted by Dr Hurst to contact Slater and Gordon Lawyers. 'Any information received will be treated confidentially and could help bring justice to the victims of David Hurst,' she said.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Convicted UK fraudster David Hurst pressured Aussie patients to use super for dental work before swiping millions and taking own life
A dentist who was convicted of fraud in the UK allegedly pressured Australian patients to take tens of thousands of dollars from their superannuation for unnecessary dental work and then withdrew millions from his business before he died of suicide. Former Perth Dental Rooms director David Hurst, 43, took his own life on December 10 last year at the Crown Perth, leaving a path of destruction and a business on the brink of bankruptcy. Lawyers allege Dr Hurst withdrew $7m from the Perth practice before he took his own life. Dr Hurst was previously convicted of defrauding the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK over forged patient declarations. The Cardiff Crown Court found that Dr Hurst stole £15,584 ($A35,553) by submitting fraudulent patient claims while he worked at the Bridgend Dental Centre. He pleaded guilty to 69 counts of theft, receiving a suspended sentence and order to perform 200 hours of community service, in 2012. Two years later he was banned from practising dentistry in the UK by a professional conduct committee. But the dentist relocated to West Australia, where he was permitted to practise dentistry despite his criminal record. He became a director at the Perth Dental Rooms, where he allegedly defrauded patients before his death. Legal firm Slater and Gordon is representing 20 of Dr Hurt's former patients whom he allegedly persuaded to use their superannuation to pay for expensive and often unnecessary treatments. The lawyers allege some patients paid more than $70,000 upfront for procedures that never occurred and have yet to be reimbursed. Medical law practice leader Sarah Marshman said patients had suffered financial loss, emotional distress and ongoing pain caused by reckless, unfinished and, in some cases, unnecessary dental work. She said the firm heard from patients who were in constant pain, had broken implants, infections and untreated complications. 'For many patients, accessing their superannuation early seemed like a smart way to fund dental treatment,' she said. 'But now they've lost tens of thousands from their retirement savings and are still in pain – physically, financially and emotionally. 'These patients weren't just sold dental procedures. They were sold false hope through aggressive social media advertising and quick access to super. 'They were encouraged to dip into their retirement savings without any real understanding of the tax penalties or medical risks involved.' Ms Marshman urged Australians to think twice before being pressured by aggressive advertising to use super for medical or dental work. 'We're continuing to gather evidence for a growing number of affected patients and will be seeking accountability for the harm caused,' she said. 'We believe there could be over 130 former patients affected.' An administrator was appointed to Hurst Group Pty Ltd, which traded as the Perth Dental Rooms, in March this year after Dr Hurt's wife Clara stepped in as director. There is no suggestion that she was involved in any wrongdoing. The West reported the Perth Dental Rooms was sold in May but proceeds from the sale were not enough to cover its liabilities. It was reported $2.3m in payments made by patients in advance remain unaccounted for by the Hurst Group. Ms Marshman urged anyone who was treated or consulted by Dr Hurst to contact Slater and Gordon Lawyers. 'Any information received will be treated confidentially and could help bring justice to the victims of David Hurst,' she said.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Perth's high society tier list: Ruthless gossips leak the city's hidden hierarchy in our most cutting social rankings yet - as TWO former A-listers take a tumble down the ranks
It was only a matter of time. Since we began covering the tawdry saga of Dr David Hurst a few weeks ago, we have received dozens of tips from Perth's most incorrigible gossips advising us that the City of Light is a hotbed of under-reported rumours, feuds and scandal.
Daily Mail
16-06-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Rogue dentist's widow breaks cover at society party - as insiders tell LUCY MANLY who she is quietly seeing in Europe... and the buzzy rumour about her $6.5m home
For the 132 patients ripped off by rogue Perth dentist Dr David Hurst, the past six months since his have been a nightmare of pain, stalled insurance claims and growing frustration. But while they chase compensation or corrective surgery, Hurst's widow Clara is chasing the European summer.
West Australian
14-06-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Regulator promises action on medicos abusing patients' compassionate release of super funds
Medical practitioners have been warned the regulator is on the hunt for any doctors and dentists abusing the safety net that allows patients early access to superannuation to pay for vital treatments. The crackdown follows The Sunday Times' expose of rogue dentist David Hurst and the horrendous plight of his former patients. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Dental and Medical Boards of Australia issued a joint statement expressing concern some practitioners were putting profits ahead of patient care. 'Compassionate release of superannuation (CRS), administered by the Australian Taxation Office, is an important safety net for access to urgent health care for people who cannot otherwise afford it, however, it can also have significant long-term financial impacts on individuals' superannuation outcomes. 'It is important that it is used appropriately and that patients are clearly informed of potential risks. 'The significant increase in approvals for the use of CRS for dental treatments in recent years, raises concerns that some practitioners may be placing profits over patient care. 'AHPRA and the Dental and Medical Boards of Australia are working with other regulators, including the ATO, to understand the recent growth in applications to use CRS to fund treatment and identify any concerns about inappropriate conduct. 'Under close examination is the practice of practitioners with high rates of report writing that indicate inappropriate patient assessment may be occurring.' AHPRA chief executive Justin Untersteiner added: 'We are deeply concerned by reports that some practitioners may be putting their own financial gain ahead their patients' best interests. 'We're working with the ATO to identify any potential predatory practice. 'Practitioners are on notice that we will take action to protect the public.' AHPRA said red flags for consumers included requests or demands for payment upfront; asking to use patients' myGov login details; Telehealth consults instead of in-person examinations; and missing financial consent information. All of these were experienced by patients of Dr Hurst, who withdrew up to $70,000 each from their super funds for dental implants. As reported, more than 130 patients were left in limbo following the sudden death of the 43-year-old Perth dentist last December, with $2.3 million of their pre-payments discovered missing in the wake of the tragedy. The Sunday Times has interviewed scores of patients who complain shoddy work and cheap materials left them in agony and, in some cases, looking disfigured. Dr Hurst had been allowed to practice in Australia despite a criminal conviction in his native Wales. He stole £15,584 (more than $32,000) from the UK's National Health Service by forging patient declarations while working as a dentist in Bridgend, near Cardiff, in 2006 and 2007. In 2012, he pleaded guilty to 69 counts of theft at Cardiff Crown Court, where he was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, and given a 200-hour community work order. In 2021, Dr Hurst had been ordered to undertake education by AHPRA following patient complaints about his work. Impacted patients were this week informed a bankruptcy trustee was being appointed over the deceased estate of Dr Hurst, indicating their prepayments were gone. The number of Australians raiding their super accounts early to get dental implants and other expensive treatments has exploded by 528 per cent in five years. Money-wise, the amount withdrawn has jumped from $66.4 million in 2018-19 to $526.4m in 2023-24 — an increase of 693 per cent. Tanja Dixon, 53, is among Dr Hurst's implant patients. As happened with many others, the provisional teeth she was fitted with all snapped and broke. She said she had experienced 'rough handling' while in the dentist's chair. 'Every time I went to him he seemed agitated and frustrated,' she said. 'I even stopped him once with and said, 'You all right there, mate?'' Each setback with her new teeth meant another trip from her home in Newman to Perth. 'I was getting really annoyed because my company paid for me to fly to Perth from Newman five times at an average cost of $900 each trip not to mention accommodation costs and car hire,' Ms Dixon said. On one occasion, she flew into the city only to get a text message saying her appointment had been cancelled. Ms Dixon has lost the $50,000 she paid from her super, plus a $20,000 loan for her final instalment that she transferred in late December, unaware that Dr Hurst had died two weeks earlier. 'If I knew he had died I would not have paid the money,' she said. Ms Dixon was assured another practice, Aria Dental, would complete her treatment. But that didn't occur because Dr Hurst's practice couldn't afford to pay its bills, including to Aria Dental. Ms Dixon has had to get another $20,000 loan to finish the work with Aria Dental, which she said had been great. She needed implants because her teeth were falling out due to a rare heart condition. 'I thought I was too young to have no teeth,' she said. 'And I deal with customers every day (in my job) running fuel sites for Dunning's Fuel. 'I've been battling things for the last three years, and (finally) I thought I was winning (in life),' she said. 'My heart was getting a bit better and I was getting my teeth done, and then, bang, it all turned to s..t.' WA Health Consumers' Council executive director Clare Mullen welcomed the strong statement from AHPRA and the Dental and Medical Boards on this issue. 'We'd encourage anyone considering a significant financial investment in any health treatment to take note of the red flags they've highlighted,' she said.
