The United Kingdom’s National Health Service Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) has successfully prosecuted Nigerian doctor Richard Akinrolabu, who has been handed a three-year prison sentence for fraudulently obtaining £268,000 from the NHS.
According to a statement posted on the NHSCFA website on Monday, Akinrolabu — who worked as a trust-grade specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Princess Royal University Hospital — falsely reported his availability for duty between 2018 and 2021.
Despite claiming he was medically unfit to handle night shifts and on-call duties, he was at the same time working shifts in other hospitals.
The statement detailed, “Between October 2018 and December 2021, Akinrolabu worked on-call and night shifts at three additional NHS trusts while on sick leave or reduced duties from King’s College Hospital (KCH). His deception forced KCH to hire locum doctors to cover the shifts he claimed he could not undertake.”
Investigations began in November 2021 when KCH received information suggesting Akinrolabu was working night shifts at Basildon Hospital. The hospital’s local counter-fraud team confirmed he had taken several on-call shifts without seeking permission, prompting an independent NHSCFA investigation. Despite being invited for an interview in 2022, Akinrolabu declined to comment.
He was subsequently charged with four counts of fraud by false representation at Woolwich Crown Court. Evidence presented at trial showed he had neither sought nor received authorization for secondary employment, and timesheets from the additional trusts confirmed he worked night and on-call shifts contrary to his claims of incapacity.
Akinrolabu, 61, of Orpington, Kent, pleaded guilty to all charges on September 3, 2025, and was sentenced on November 4, 2025. During sentencing, His Honour Judge David Miller remarked, “You lied to occupational health, your colleagues, and your employer. The public doesn’t expect doctors to lie for personal gain.”
Ben Harrison, NHSCFA Head of Operations, said, “This case highlights a deliberate abuse of trust by a healthcare professional. By misrepresenting his availability and working additional shifts, Akinrolabu defrauded the NHS of significant funds intended for patient care. The NHSCFA remains committed to identifying and prosecuting those who exploit the health service.”
