Doctor's ban extended over theft from patient

A Wolverhampton hospital doctor who was suspended last year has been ordered not to practise for another 12 months after a tribunal found she continued to pose a high risk to the public.

Dr Sandra Chika Ndirika, who was a urology trainee at New Cross Hospital, was previously suspended after being convicted of stealing from a vulnerable patient and a colleague.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service's latest decision found her fitness to practise remained impaired.

It said "there remained a risk of Dr Ndirika repeating her behaviour" as she "lacked sufficient insight into her actions".

The tribunal heard Ndirika took a wallet from the coat of a vulnerable patient who was attending her clinic. She stole £30 and cloned his bank card, which she later used to make online purchases. She falsely claimed to be the lawful owner of the card.

She also stole a purse from the handbag of a nurse in the staff room and used a bank card from it to order food online.

She admitted the allegations when interviewed by police under caution.

In December 2023, she admitted two counts of theft and seven counts of fraud by false representation before Wolverhampton magistrates. In January 2024, Dudley magistrates sentenced her to 32 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered her to pay £455 in compensation.

In August last year, a medical tribunal found Ndirika's conviction was "extremely serious". It suspended her for 12 months to give her a chance to address her behaviour.

For the latest hearing, she was told to write a reflection "detailing her developing insight and remediation, the application of them in her professional and private life, and her understanding of the impact of her conduct on the profession, her victims and the wider public".

However, Angus Macpherson, the tribunal chair, said the reflection was not submitted and Ndirika did not attend the hearing.

He noted that she had been out of clinical practice for several years which would "inevitably result in her becoming deskilled", and said there was no evidence of training to show she had kept her medical skills and knowledge up to date.

"The risk to public protection remained unchanged and continued to fall at the higher end of the spectrum of seriousness," Macpherson concluded. "There was nothing to reassure the tribunal that that risk had been mitigated."

The tribunal considered whether Ndirika could return to work with conditions, but Macpherson said he "could not be satisfied" she would comply with these.

He said the 12-month suspension was necessary to protect the public and maintain confidence in the medical profession, adding that the suspension would give Ndirika more time to provide evidence that she had addressed her behaviour.

Another hearing will take place shortly before the end of the suspension period, at which Ndirika will need to prove her fitness to practise is no longer impaired.

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