NHS scientist cheated in essay – then blamed his computer’s spellcheck

A SENIOR NHS scientist caught cheating in an academic work tried to blame it on his spellchecker, a tribunal heard.

Krishnakumar Pillai submitted an essay that was found to be almost 90 per cent stolen from colleagues.

When accused of plagiarism, the heart specialist claimed it must be due to the software he used to check his spelling.

He later admitted copying other people.

Now he has been suspended after being found guilty of misconduct.

A disciplinary panel heard Mr Pillai, who specialises in cardiac physiology, was working in a senior role in the Heart Investigation Unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital when the incident took place.

He was studying for a postgraduate diploma at the University of Manchester Business School – a qualification which would have enabled him to apply for a more senior and better paid medical role.

As part of the course, he was required to submit a 4,000-word essay in January 2018.

But when he sent it in, a computer programme used by the university suggested the vast majority of it had been copied.

‘His assignment recorded an 88 per cent similarity index to material previously submitted to higher educational institutions,’ the tribunal heard. ‘In early March 2018 he was informed that an issue had been flagged... his response was that he had not plagiarised and he stated that he had put his assignment through a spellcheck, something that he suggested may have caused the report.’

Mr Pillai then faked another report that showed that only

‘Deplorable actions’

three per cent of his essay was not original, the tribunal heard. The disciplinary panel at the Healthcare Professions Tribunal Service in London accepted the senior NHS scientist had health and personal problems.

‘However, the fact remains at the same time he was working clinically to a high level and continuing to manage a department of 16 people,’ the panel said. ‘The negative factors did not rob him of the ability to distinguish between right and wrong.’

It described his actions as ‘deplorable’ and suspended him for nine months.