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

Akinrolabu, who pleaded guilty to four counts of Fraud by False Representation on 3 September 2025, was employed as a trust grade specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) in London, part of King’s College Hospitals (KCH) NHS Foundation Trust. A trust grade specialist registrar is a type of resident doctor, formerly known as a junior doctor.

Between October 2018 and December 2021, Akinrolabu secretly worked on-call and night shifts at three additional NHS trusts while informing KCH that he was unfit for work or on reduced duties.

This deception meant KCH continued to pay his full salary while hiring locum staff to cover shifts he was secretly performing elsewhere.

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In November 2021, KCH learned that Akinrolabu had been working night shifts at Basildon Hospital. Investigations by the trust’s local counter-fraud team later uncovered that he had also worked at Princess Alexandra Hospital, East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust, and Mid-South Essex NHS Foundation Trust without approval.

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Timesheet and payroll records confirmed that the majority of these shifts were night or on-call, directly contradicting his claims of being unfit to work.

During a June 2022 interview under caution, Akinrolabu declined to comment. Following further investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA), he was formally charged with four counts of fraud.

The sentencing underscores the NHS’s commitment to pursuing staff who abuse sick leave and deceive multiple trusts for personal gain.

In sentencing, His Honour Judge David Miller stated: “You lied to occupational health, your colleagues and your employer. The public doesn’t expect doctors to lie for personal gain.”

Ben Harrison, Head of Operations at the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, 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.”