A Londondoctor who produced fake timesheets to get paid for hours he didn’t work at the height of the Covid pandemic has been struck off. Dr Tariq Al-Jabary was working as a locum consultant at Orpington Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Bromley when he submitted “falsified timesheets” covering the period from January to May 2021, according to a Fitness to Practice Hearing.
The panel determined Dr Al-Jabary had not obtained the appropriate authorisation for the timesheets he submitted and produced false signatures. One timesheet for the week ending January 17, 2021 appeared to show the signatures of names such as “L XXX” or “J XXX”, which had not been previously seen, the hearing was told. The panel noted the signatures bore remarkable similarity to those of subsequent timesheets, which Dr Al-Jabary admitted to completing, adding the “client authorisation” signature himself.
During the hearing, Dr Al-Jabary claimed he had asked the ward manager at the time to sign his timesheets, as she worked the Monday to Friday schedule and was the most senior person available to him. Unfortunately, he was “unable to say” whether this name was actually “L/J XXX”. The only description he could provide was vague, noting she was the ward manager, white, and “possibly brunette”.
The Director of People at King’s College NHS Trust, which operates both hospitals, testified there was, “no one with the surname” matching those provided on Dr Al-Jabary’s timesheets during the period. The panel concluded the “purported authorised signatures on Dr Al-Jabary’s first four timesheets were not genuine”. Further investigations revealed Dr Al-Jabary’s access swipe card had not been used on the dates he claimed to have worked.
Staff members at King’s College Trust had raised concerns about Dr Al-Jabary’s presence at the hospital on the days he claimed to have worked, as documented by various emails submitted as evidence. Responding to these concerns, one staff member known as Mr E noted, “we have not had any more CVs so can’t afford to let him go.” This highlights some severe staffing difficulties hospitals were experiencing during the pandemic.
A colleague, identified as Dr B, mentioned the hospitals faced “staffing issues” due to the pandemic, including numerous vacancies and additional wards for Covid patients, plus staff missing due to illness. Dr B described the timeframe from November 2020 to March 2021 as “horrific”, emphasizing the need for medical professionals at the hospitals was so dire they sometimes preferred having “a good doctor there 80 per cent of the time” rather than no doctor at all. Despite their struggles, Dr B recognized Dr Al-Jabary’s competence, stating, “When Dr Al-Jabary was there, he was very good at his job.”
Dr Al-Jabary defended his actions, arguing the submission of the false timesheets was merely an honest mistake. Nevertheless, the Tribunal concluded he had “undermined public trust” and described his behavior as “cunning and devious”. The panel also pointed out he had “not fully admitted to deliberately misleading others” and had portrayed his actions as mere mistakes.
Despite his wrongful behavior, the Tribunal recognized Dr Al-Jabary as “a good colleague” and noted there were no issues raised from patients concerning his treatment. After carefully considering the evidence, Dr Al-Jabary's name was struck off the medical register, emphasizing the severity of his actions.
With this incident, the medical community faces another sobering reminder of challenges within the healthcare system, especially during periods of extreme pressure like the Covid pandemic. Such cases of dishonesty can erode public trust just when the medical profession needs it most to uphold its integrity and responsibilities. And as healthcare professionals strive to navigate their commitments, stories like Dr Al-Jabary’s serve as cautionary tales of the thin line between professional dedication and ethical boundaries.