A UK health tribunal has struck off Ifenyinwa Chizube Ndulue-Nonso, a Nigerian woman who falsely claimed to be an experienced dietitian, after finding she misrepresented her qualifications.
Ndulue-Nonso was dismissed for gross misconduct following a
hearing of the Health and Care Professions Tribunal (HCPT) Service on March 2.
The HCPC is the statutory regulator for dietitians and other
health professionals in the UK.
The panel found that she had “persistently” exaggerated her
level of expertise in order to secure employment with Manchester University NHS
Foundation Trust.
Ndulue-Nonso, who moved from Nigeria to the UK, began
working in the role on February 19, 2024, after scoring 62 percent in her
interview.
However, concerns about her competence emerged within days.
According to the tribunal, she told colleagues that urine is
stored in the gallbladder and that radiotherapy is used to treat heart failure.
She was also reportedly unable to calculate a body mass
index (BMI) and incorrectly identified the large intestine as the part of the
digestive system that follows the stomach.
Lorna Haywood, her supervisor, described these gaps as
“extremely concerning”, noting that such knowledge is “basic anatomy” and
“fundamental” to the role.
By February 22, Haywood had escalated concerns, stating that
Ndulue-Nonso “did not know the fundamentals.”
In another instance, she reportedly admitted she had never
administered feeding via intravenous catheter or used supplement drinks,
despite claiming prior experience.
The tribunal heard that Ndulue-Nonso later disclosed she had
attended 15 NHS job interviews and had “learnt the correct answers” through
feedback.
Further concerns arose when she failed to identify a feeding
tube in a patient and appeared to search online for basic medical terms during
work.
She was suspended on March 12 as investigations began into
the accuracy of her application.
Disciplinary hearings later found that 20 out of 28 areas of expertise she claimed were unsupported by her actual knowledge.
Although Ndulue-Nonso admitted she had “exaggerated a bit,”
she denied intending to deceive, arguing her application reflected her
experience in Nigeria.
However, the panel ruled that her actions were “planned,
wide-ranging and persistent,” adding that there was a “significant risk of
causing serious harm to patients”.
She was, therefore, removed from the UK register of
dietitians maintained by the HCPC.
The ruling means she can no longer legally practise as a
registered dietitian in the UK.
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