UK Court Jails Nigerian Doctor For Working During Sick Leave

A Unites Kingdom-based Nigerian doctor, Richard Akinrolabu, has been sentenced to three years in prison by the Woolwich Crown Court for defrauding the National Health Service (NHS) of over £268,000 by secretly working shifts while on sick leave.

According to a statement on Monday by the National Health Service Counter Fraud Authority, Akinrolabu, who served as a trust grade specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) under the King’s College Hospitals (KCH) NHS Foundation Trust, had earlier pleaded guilty to four counts of Fraud by False Representation on 3 September 2025.

Between October 2018 and December 2021, the doctor repeatedly claimed to be unfit for duty in his primary role at KCH, yet carried out on-call and night shifts across three other NHS trusts.

While he remained on full sick pay or reduced duties at King’s College Hospital, he worked additional shifts at Princess Alexandra Hospital, East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust, and Mid-South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

During the period, the statement said KCH continued paying his full salary and had to hire locum doctors to cover the shifts he falsely claimed he was too unwell to perform.

The fraud came to light in November 2021 when KCH received information that Akinrolabu had been working night shifts at Basildon Hospital.

A local counter-fraud investigation uncovered timesheets and payroll records confirming he had not sought or obtained permission for secondary employment, despite repeatedly informing occupational health that he was unable to undertake such shifts.

Most of the extra shifts were night and on-call duties — the very tasks he had insisted he was medically unfit to perform.

When interviewed under caution in June 2022, Akinrolabu offered “no comment”. Further inquiries by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) led to his prosecution on four fraud charges.

Delivering the sentence, His Honour Judge David Miller condemned his conduct, saying: “You lied to occupational health, your colleagues and your employer. The public doesn’t expect doctors to lie for personal gain.”

The NHSCFA also criticised the doctor’s actions. Ben Harrison, Head of Operations, said, “This case demonstrates a clear and deliberate abuse of trust by an NHS professional who knowingly breached the conditions of his employment for personal gain. By working additional on-call and night shifts, despite being unfit to do so, Akinrolabu defrauded the NHS of substantial funds that should have supported patient care.

“The NHS Counter Fraud Authority will continue to ensure that those who seek to exploit the health service for their own benefit are identified and brought to justice.”