Accused doctor was about to resign to go overseas, says lawyer

The Waikato DHB said its patient had been involved in the treatment of 75 patients. Photo / Thinkstock

An alleged fake psychiatrist was considered a flight risk because he planned to leave New Zealand to care for his sick mother instead of fighting an employment dispute - but was arrested before he could go.

The 54-year-old allegedly stole the credentials of a doctor in the United States with a similar name to get a job at the Waikato District Health Board.

Concerns about his behaviour were raised by his supervisor and an investigation led to the police charging him with obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception (relating to his employment between January and July).

He is in custody with interim name suppression until his next court appearance on Monday.

His lawyer, Kerry Burroughs, told the Weekend Herald that his client was deemed a flight risk and refused bail, partly because the police believed he had two passports with different birthdates.

"There's been a mix-up there, some sort of clerical error. The police didn't know where the passports were, but there is only one, which was in the apartment when they searched it. I now have it; we can surrender it if he gets bail on Monday."

Mr Burroughs, president of the Waikato-Bay of Plenty branch of the Law Society, had been representing the man during his employment dispute in which the DHB withdrew his right to practise on July 17.

A week later, the man told Mr Burroughs he did not want to challenge the decision of the DHB.

"I got a message on Friday saying he didn't need me any more, because his mother was quite sick [overseas] and he would resign. Then, they arrested him that night," said Mr Burroughs.

"They say he's a flight risk. But if he wanted to disappear, he could have done that the week before."

Mr Burroughs will seek bail and name suppression for his client to continue. "This is a man's professional life at stake here."

The crux of the issue was a psychiatric qualification the man had supplied to the Medical Council, but allegedly belongs to another doctor in the United States with a similar name.

"But that doesn't mean [he] doesn't have the qualification for the job. He might be entitled to that certificate but has been given the wrong [identification] number. I just don't know at this point."

Yesterday, the Waikato DHB said its former staff member had been involved in the treatment of 75 patients as a consultant psychiatrist in the mental health services team. Of those, 26 had been identified requiring further assessment and most had been contacted by the DHB.

A spokeswoman confirmed the psychiatrist had placed patients in compulsory care under the Mental Health Act.

"This person completed a total of 37 assessments at various stages in the Mental Health Act process. All of these were further assessed by another psychiatrist at a later stage in proceedings. Eight did not proceed and 29 did."

The man worked within a team and usually saw patients with other staff members.

This week Medical Council chairman Andrew Connolly said the alleged fraudster appeared to have carried out a sophisticated identity theft, duping the council, the hospital and the US medical authorities, who may have provided genuine documentation believing they were being given to the real doctor.

"Jurisdictions overseas that issued these certificates appear to have done so in the genuine belief they were dealing with a legitimate doctor," he said.

Two of the three referees who vouched for the man to the Medical Council were shocked to learn they may have provided a reference for the wrong man, Mr Connolly said.

"All our registration staff go through fraud document training, so we're pretty concerned that this guy got through, assuming what's alleged is borne out. We're very concerned."