Imposter doctor alleged at Middlemore

Police are investigating after a man allegedly used fake qualifications to work as a doctor at Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital.

The man was stood down over concerns about the authenticity of his alleged qualifications. Health officials have lodged a complaint with police, who were now investigating.

Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand said the person was employed in February and held a clinical research position. The agency said it supported the district health board in referring this matter to police.

However, it had not answered NZME’S questions around what reference checks were done on the man, how many patients the person saw, and if patients had been informed.

Health Minister Andrew Little said he was advised of the allegations on Wednesday and was satisfied with Te Whatu Ora’s response.

“I was advised yesterday that a staff member at Middlemore Hospital was stood down last week following concerns raised about his qualifications.

“I have been advised that an investigation is under way into the actions of this person.

“I am satisfied at the response of Te Whatu Ora Health NZ to this employment matter,” Little said in a statement to RNZ yesterday.

Police confirmed that a criminal investigation was under way and inquiries were ongoing.

The Herald understands the person who allegedly used fake documents to get a job at Middlemore Hospital was not seeing patients routinely like a proper clinical doctor and would not have done anything unsupervised.

The patients he would have seen would have been stable outpatients enrolled in a clinical trial.

A staff member at the hospital told the Herald it was strange he made it through the employment process.

“Doctors have to have super thorough references, etc, that all get called so no idea how he made it through that . . . if you were a doctor working in the main hospital you’d be found out pretty quickly.”