A UK-based Nigerian doctor, Richard Akinrolabu, 61, has been sentenced to three years in prison for defrauding the National Health Service (NHS) of more than £268,000.

Akinrolabu, a specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Princess Royal University Hospital, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud by false representation and was sentenced on November 4, 2025, at Woolwich Crown Court.

Investigations revealed that between 2018 and 2021, he worked night and on-call shifts across three other NHS trusts while falsely claiming to be unfit for similar duties at his primary workplace. At various times, he even took sick leave or requested reduced duties, forcing his employer to hire locum doctors to cover his shifts.

The fraud was uncovered in 2021 after King’s College Hospital received reports that Akinrolabu was secretly working nights at Basildon Hospital. Further checks linked him to additional shifts at Princess Alexandra Hospital, East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust, and Mid-South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

Judge David Miller, while handing down the sentence, said the doctor had “lied to occupational health, colleagues and his employer,” adding that the public does not expect medical professionals to “lie for personal gain.”

Ben Harrison, Head of Operations at the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, described the case as a clear abuse of trust, noting that the stolen funds should have been directed toward patient care.

Akinrolabu had previously drawn public attention in 2006 when he was cleared of allegations involving an illegal abortion offer. A GMC panel dismissed the case due to inconsistencies, although he admitted to an affair with the complainant.