How fake psychiatrist worked in UK for 22 years

The records of up to 3,000 foreign doctors working for the NHS are to be reviewed following the revelation that a woman with fake qualifications practised psychiatry in the UK for more than two decades.

Zholia Alemi, 56, claimed to have a medical degree from a university in New Zealand when she registered in the UK in 1995. In fact, she had dropped out of medical school in her first year.

Yet she got onto the UK medical register under a section of the Medical Act that allowed medical school graduates from certain Commonwealth countries, including New Zealand, to join on the basis of the qualification they obtained at home, “without having to sit and pass the standard two-part assessment of their medical knowledge and skills”, Sky News reports.

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Although this law “has not been in force since 2003”, fears have been raised that other fake doctors may also have snuck in during the 1990s.

Alemi’s false medical qualification was only discovered following her conviction last month of fraud and theft offences. Cumbrian newspaper News and Star launched an investigation after it emerged that while working as a consultant psychiatrist for a dementia service in West Cumbria, Alemi had forged an 87-year-old widow’s will in a bid to inherit her £1.3m estate.

The victim, who knew Alemi as “Julia”, told police: “Julia has drafted a will. Julia has put herself down for everything as I did not tell her I had a family but I don't want her having it all.”

Police later searched Alemi’s office and home and seized a number of items including the new will and bank cards belonging to the victim, and dozens of watches that had been owned by the widow’s late husband.

The fake doctor insisted the items were being held there with the victim’s permission, but was convicted over the scam by Carlisle Crown Court and jailed for five years.

Following the revelation about her lack of qualifications, the General Medical Council (GMC) apologised for its “inadequate” checks on medical practitioners, the BBC reports. The health watchdog has launched a web page with advice for anyone who may have been treated by Alemi.