Fake Doctor Allegedly Worked At Hospital For 8 Months, Fooled Staff And Patients

KEY POINTS

A 27-year-old woman allegedly worked as a doctor at an Australian hospital for months despite not being qualified
The hospital recently found that she was not registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
She was fired, and both police and the hospital are investigating the incident

Police in Australia are investigating a 27-year-old woman who allegedly pretended to be a doctor at a Sydney hospital for eight months.

The unnamed woman had failed her final exams but still landed a job at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital in New South Wales' (NSW) capital in January using fake documents, Australian outlet 7News reported.

She allegedly worked as a trainee doctor in the eight months she was at the medical facility -- fooling staff and patients.

The hospital, however, realized Monday that she was not registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), which is the government body responsible for the registration and accreditation of 16 health professions across the country, a report by News.com.au said.

"This person worked at the hospital from January to August 2021 and was fully supervised throughout that time," a spokeswoman was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.

The woman was fired Monday after she could not provide paperwork that the hospital asked for, according to 7News. Her bosses then reportedly called police, who are now investigating the incident.

"This person was immediately removed from their duties and Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital referred the matter to NSW Police for investigation," a spokesperson said.

New South Wales Health referred the matter to Bankstown Area Command, a police spokesman said.

The woman could face several charges over the incident, including fraud.

Additionally, the hospital is reportedly conducting an internal investigation and has reported the matter to AHPRA.

A similar incident happened in Canada when a woman allegedly managed to get two internships in clinics while pretending to be a doctor.

The Quebec College of Physicians (QCP) -- a medical practice regulator for the province -- claimed that a woman named Annie Ung was pretending to be a doctor despite having no relevant medical training.

Ung was able to see patients at a hospital after showing up wearing a white lab coat and a stethoscope, the organization alleged.

The QCP said it was taking legal action against Ung for the illegal practice of medicine to prevent her from falsely claiming to be a doctor.

Ung was reportedly facing a total of nine infractions from the QCP and around CAD$67,500 ($53,900) in fines.