We warned about fake shrink 10 years ago
Patients reveals how she prescribed powerful head drugs and tried to have daughter put in care
A SCOTS father raised serious concerns about a fake psychiatrist 10 years ago after she tried to have his daughter taken into care.
New Zealander Zholia Alemi practised psychiatry in the NHS for 22 years without any qualifications.
The deception emerged in October after she was jailed for five years for faking a dementia patient’s will in an attempt to inherit her estate.
It has now emerged that concerns were raised over Alemi’s conduct while she worked as a psychiatrist in Scotland.
Darren Lowe, who was treated by Alemi at Ayr’s Ailsa Hospital in 2008, said her behaviour set alarm bells ringing and he raised concerns with health chiefs.
But Alemi accused Darren of being paranoid and even tried to get his daughter taken out of his care.
Darren, 35, and wife Catriona are furious that his concerns were never treated seriously.
Catriona said: “She has just been jailed for defrauding someone but Darren was raising his concerns 10 years ago. It is ridiculous.
“He would say that she had more mental health issues than the patients.
“Her whole story never seemed to ring true. When he started ringing alarm bells, she started to call us.
“Darren was being treated for depression but she would say that he had psychosis and that was why he was saying these things about her.
“She even tried to get our daughter taken off us. The fact that she was allowed to work for so long and prescribe medication is a disgrace.”
After being treated by Alemi, Darren was left with severe depression and he still struggles with his mental health.
It has also emerged that another of Alemi’s patients plans to sue a Scottish health board over their failure to check her qualifications.
Alex Owen claims he was put on powerful medication by Alemi while she worked at a hospital in Ayr.
NHS Ayrshire and Arran said they confirmed she was registered with the General Medical Council before employing her as a locum psychiatrist for 16 months in 2007 and 2008. They apologised for any distress the situation had caused.
Alex said: “My experience with Ms Alemi was she was a pleasant character.
“As a person, she was quite pleasant to deal with. However, I didn’t always agree with the diagnosis that was given, which was borderline personality disorder. “I was then put on two anti-psychotic drugs, quite potent drugs in my opinion, that made me feel sleepy and quite tired during the day. “I would be hungry quite a lot of the time and I did gain quite a bit of weight being on those medications. There were instances where I didn’t take them because of the side-effects. “I guess I could have raised my own opinions a lot sooner, rather than go through 10 years of not saying anything. “It’s not until something like this happens where you see a doctor isn’t really a doctor that it makes you think, ‘Well, do you know what? I might have been right and I should have said something sooner’.” Alex said he only realised his psychiatrist did not have the necessary credentials to practice when he read a news article about Alemi. He added that it was now a “bit of a struggle” to put trust in the health service. But he said he
hoped that NHS boards would learn from their mistakes.
Alex said: “I feel a slight bit of relief in a way because I believe the diagnosis I was given wasn’t 100 per cent correct and this doctor coming out as not being a doctor really supports my opinion and those of others.”
Alemi claimed to have had a medical degree from Auckland University when she registered in the UK in 1995. But she had dropped out of medical school in her first year.
At Carlisle Crown Court, she was convicted of fraud and theft after taking advantage of a vulnerable patient in Cumbria. She had denied the charges.
After Alemi’s deception was revealed, the GMC said urgent checks would be carried out on 3000 foreign doctors.
They apologised for “inadequate” checks in the 90s.
Alex’s lawyer Greg Whyte said: “The concern here is there are going to be more people like Alex. There are bound to be. This lady practised and prescribed drugs and sectioned people.”
Dr John Taylor, of NHS Ayrshire and Arran, said: “We would like to apologise for any distress this situation may have caused.
“If patients were treated by this individual and have concerns, we would advise them to contact our mental health services team on 01292 559863.”