A Nigerian woman, Oluwabunmu Adeleiyi, has been convicted in the United Kingdom for fraudulently working in NHS hospitals using false identification, despite having no formal medical training.
Adeleiyi, 30, was living in Cardiff on a student visa and posed as a healthcare support worker at Neath Port Talbot Hospital and the Caswell Clinic in Bridgend.
Cardiff Crown Court heard that Adeleiyi, alongside two accomplices, shared counterfeit identity cards which they used to obtain hospital shifts through employment agencies. The group was said to have fraudulently billed the NHS approximately £16,000 every month.
She pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud by false representation.
The court sentenced Adeleiyi to 10 months’ imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently. However, the sentence was suspended for two years, and she was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid community service.
The fraud was uncovered after hospital staff noticed inconsistencies on her identification card at the end of a night shift. Subsequent investigations revealed that Adeleiyi had accessed confidential patient records, locked restricted wards, and carried out duties she was not trained for, including patient restraint.
Health officials told the court that her actions posed potentially “catastrophic” risks to patient safety.
The case has raised fresh concerns over identity verification processes within healthcare recruitment agencies and hospitals across the UK.