A Nigerian medical doctor has been sentenced to three years in prison after admitting to defrauding the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) of more than £268,000.
The Fraudulent Scheme Uncovered
Richard Akinrolabu, 61, from Orpington in Kent, received his sentence at Woolwich Crown Court on November 4, 2025. The doctor had previously pleaded guilty to all four counts of Fraud by False Representation at the same court on September 3, 2025.
According to the National Health Service Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA), Akinrolabu qualified as a doctor in Nigeria in 2003 and was employed as a trust grade specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Princess Royal University Hospital in London. This hospital forms part of King's College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
How the Fraud Operated
Investigations revealed that between October 2018 and December 2021, Akinrolabu worked on-call and night shifts at three additional hospital trusts while informing his primary employer that he was unfit to perform the same duties for them.
The doctor carried out these additional shifts while either on sick leave or reduced duties from King's College Hospital. This fraudulent activity resulted in the NHS paying Akinrolabu his full salary while also having to employ temporary locum doctors to cover the shifts he claimed he couldn't work.
Investigation and Sentencing
The scheme began to unravel in November 2021 when King's College Hospital received information indicating that Akinrolabu had been working night shifts at Basildon Hospital. Subsequent investigations by the trust's local counter fraud team confirmed he had worked numerous on-call shifts there.
Further evidence gathered by NHSCFA investigators revealed that Akinrolabu had also worked at Princess Alexandra Hospital, East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust, and Mid-South Essex NHS Foundation Trust while maintaining reduced duties at his primary employment.
Timesheet and payroll information obtained from the three additional trusts showed that the majority of shifts Akinrolabu worked were night and on-call duties, despite his claims of being medically unfit for such work.
In June 2022, the local counter fraud team interviewed Akinrolabu under caution, during which he provided a "no comment" response to all questions. Following additional investigation by the NHSCFA, he was charged with four counts of Fraud by False Representation.
During sentencing, His Honour Judge David Miller stated: "You lied to occupational health, your colleagues and your employer."
Ben Harrison, Head of Operations at the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, commented: "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," Harrison added.
The NHS Counter Fraud Authority emphasized its commitment to ensuring that those who attempt to exploit the health service for personal benefit are identified and brought to justice.
