Staff at a Sydney hospital are in shock after discovering a trainee doctor, who had worked at the centre for eight months, was unqualified, unregistered and had allegedly conned their way into the role.
The 27-year-old, who has not been named, landed a job as a trainee doctor at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital in January.
According to reports by local media, the woman, who had flunked her final exams, allegedly faked documents to secure the position.
The imposter continued to successfully dupe qualified staff, managing to retain the supervised role for almost eight months.
But on Monday, the woman's subterfuge was finally exposed after she was unable to provide the requested paperwork.
New South Wales (NSW) Police are now investigating the matter after her supervisors reported the alleged sham. The woman may face several offences, including fraud.
News of the revelation has sent shockwaves throughout the community, with one local telling Channel 7 the major oversight had put patients' lives at risk.
"You can't be treated by someone who's not qualified to work, you're putting yourself at danger," they told the outlet.
A spokesperson for Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital confirmed to Channel 7 an internal investigation has been launched in the wake of the revelations.
"Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital discovered on Monday an employee was not registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA)," the spokesperson said on Tuesday.
"This person was immediately removed from their duties and Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital referred the matter to NSW Police for investigation."
The spokesperson confirmed the alleged fraud had worked at the hospital from January to August 2021 and was "fully supervised" throughout that time.
"The hospital is also conducting an internal investigation, and has reported the matter to AHPRA."
