Junior doctor who told NHS she was attending training day when she was actually getting married is suspended

A junior doctor has been suspended for 12 months for brazenly lying to the NHS by claiming he had attended a compulsory training day when he was actually walking down the aisle at his own wedding.

Dr Preethi Suresh, a cardiology trainee at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH), ‘dishonestly’ completed attendance forms and uploaded a certificate to her professional portfolio to make it appear she had completed the session.

The training took place on February 29, 2024, right in the middle of her wedding leave, which she took between February 26 and March 1.

Amiri, Dr. She realized his deceitful act after realizing that Suresh was on leave and not in training.

Despite his confession, the trainee cardiologist claimed he ‘pressed the panic button’ because he was in a ‘chaotic mood’ and was worried he wouldn’t be able to meet the training day requirements.

The General Practitioners Tribunal found he had committed serious misconduct, which led to him being suspended from his job for a year.

The court also heard that he had previously been cautioned by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal, again in December 2021, for dishonest conduct.

Dr Suresh received his doctorate from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in India in 2016. He was working as a postgraduate physician in the cardiology training program at NNUH at the time of the incident.

The training courses were part of the Annual Review of Competency Development (ARCP) process, and trainees were informed that attendance at approximately 60 percent of the sessions was expected.

Participants were asked to register their participation using two QR codes via WhatsApp on the training day and were also asked to provide feedback.

Dr Suresh filled both the forms and uploaded the certificate on his profile, claiming that he had completed the training day.

But Professor Vassilios Vassiliou, a consultant cardiologist at Norfolk University Hospital, found Dr Suresh was not there that day, despite stating that he was.

This led to her questioning the trainee doctor, who instantly confessed and later said he “knew immediately it was wrong” and was in a “chaotic mood” in the run-up to his wedding. He later removed the certificate from his portfolio.

Testifying at the hearing, Dr. Suresh said that he had difficulty attending the training because he was on duty, and that he tried to attend after working the night shift but was exhausted.

He said he mistakenly believed he was supposed to have 70 percent attendance at training days and that, by his own calculations, he thought he was falling short.

In fact, it turned out that he was well above the required attendance at the time and should have simply asked for clarification.

Presiding judge Emma Gilberthorpe said: ‘[Dr Suresh] He described his actions as seriously dishonest, but said that when he carried them out it felt like a single action aimed at obtaining the Certificate, rather than a series of separate actions.

‘He accepted that this did not excuse his behaviour.

‘Dr Suresh accepted that his actions were dishonest and there would be understandable skepticism given the previous MPT fraud alert.

‘He said he understood why his colleagues, superiors and the Court might question whether he could be trusted in the future. He noted that dishonest behavior could damage years of trust and reputation.

In both cases, he said, he “hit the panic button” and chose a dishonest short-term option rather than stopping, thinking clearly and seeking support.

‘He accepted full responsibility and said he was not trying to blame his colleagues, his training programme, his wedding or any other external factors.’

A representative from the General Medical Council, Dr. He said Suresh’s actions were done ‘deliberately’ and ‘for professional interest’.

The hearing placed his misconduct at the highest level of seriousness and he was suspended for 12 months with a review hearing at the end of his suspension.

Ms Gilberthorpe said: ‘The court considered that there were many dishonest acts involved in the incident itself, which occurred in a workplace environment.

‘The court found Dr. because the behavior was detected before it progressed any further. He acknowledged that Suresh ultimately did not get the benefit he was looking for.

‘However, the potential benefit was assessed to be significant.

‘Dr. At the time of his action, Suresh believed that the Certificate and attendance record were important to meeting training requirements and intended to rely on them where necessary.

‘The court considered that his intention was to deceive in order to gain a professional advantage linked to his educational advancement.

‘The court, Dr. He took into account Suresh’s personal circumstances at the time, including pressures regarding his upcoming wedding.

‘However, he agreed with the GMC that these conditions did not sufficiently mitigate the seriousness of the fraud.

‘The court accepted that Dr Suresh appeared susceptible to personal stress and was overworked and under pressure.

‘However, it concluded that the personal stressors identified did not justify or materially reduce the seriousness of the behaviour.

‘The court concluded that dishonest behavior occurring in a professional context was a risk to patient safety as it could undermine confidence in professional records, training systems and clinical practice.’

A spokesman for Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust declined to comment.