UK Jails Nigerian Doctor for £268,000 NHS Fraud

A Nigerian doctor has been sentenced to three years in a UK prison after defrauding the National Health Service (NHS) of £268,000. Richard Akinrolabu, 61, was a trust grade specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at Princess Royal University Hospital.

Between 2018 and 2021, Akinrolabu claimed he was unfit to work night shifts due to illness, while secretly taking on the same shifts at other hospitals. His deception forced his primary employer to hire temporary staff to cover the shifts he was being paid for but did not work.

Investigations by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) revealed that Akinrolabu worked multiple night and on-call shifts at three other trusts without obtaining permission from his main employer, King’s College Hospital. He declined to comment during the NHSCFA’s 2022 interview.

Akinrolabu pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud by false representation at Woolwich Crown Court in September 2025 and was sentenced in November. 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, NHSCFA Head of Operations, emphasized that the case highlights a serious abuse of trust, noting that the funds lost could have been used for patient care.

Akinrolabu’s conviction adds to a growing list of Nigerians facing legal action abroad for fraudulent activities. Earlier this year, Farouk Adekunle Adepoju was arrested in the UK following US charges for wire and computer fraud.