Nigerian-trained doctor lied about qualifications when applying for jobs at South London hospitals

Dr Stephen Igwe falsely claimed he achieved a distinction in his medical degree and continued to say he was a registrar even after he had been found out

A doctor who trained in Nigeria has been barred from practising in the UK after repeatedly lying on various NHS job applications and claiming a ‘virtual assistant’ was responsible for the errors.

Dr Stephen Igwe falsely claimed he achieved a distinction in his medical degree, exaggerated the importance of his role in a London NHS trust, and denied he was being investigated by the General Medical Council (GMC).

Dr Igwe was struck off the medical register following a Medical Practitioners Tribunal, on behalf of the GMC, which also found his prescribing ability, emergency skills and neonatal knowledge were not up to standard. The tribunal took place between August 10 and August 19.

Dr Igwe qualified in 2021 from Abia State University in Nigeria. While working as a junior clinical fellow in neonatology at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust in July 2024, he applied for the vacancy of senior clinical fellow in paediatric emergency medicine at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Within the application, he falsely claimed he was awarded a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery with a distinction from Abia State in 2019, when he actually graduated without a distinction two years later.

Dr Igwe said he had been a middle-grade clinical fellow in the paediatric emergency department at the Lewisham and Greenwich trust since July 2023, when his actual post was a junior clinical fellow in neonatology on a 6-month contract starting in March 2024.

He also falsely listed a junior colleague, named in the report as Dr B, as his senior line manager and referee without Dr B’s consent. Dr A, a consultant paediatrician at King’s, interviewed Dr Igwe for the position.

When attempting to check his references, Dr A was unable to reach Dr B. She then contacted a colleague working in the paediatric emergency department at Lewisham and Greenwich where Dr Igwe claimed to work. That colleague stated he did not know Dr Igwe at all, which raised immediate concerns for Dr A.

Dr A phoned Dr Igwe to query his application and informed him that Lewisham and Greenwich had confirmed he did not work in the paediatric emergency department and was not a registrar. Instead of admitting the truth, Dr Igwe falsely insisted: “Yes, I am.” Dr A then reported Dr Igwe to the GMC.

The doctor’s lies continued in subsequent job applications. Applying to Croydon Health Services NHS Trust’s emergency department in November 2024, Dr Igwe denied he was being investigated by the GMC. He made the same denial in a January 2025 application to the same trust.

Dr Igwe later admitted to all of the allegations, and said the dishonesty arose because of “being panicked at the prospect of his employment contract not being renewed meaning he may lose his visa and income and potentially have to return to Nigeria”.

When first facing GMC scrutiny, Dr Igwe created a false narrative that a virtual assistant back in his home country had been to blame for mistakes on his application forms. He later withdrew this claim and admitted it to be false, admitting he invented the assistant to deflect personal blame.

The tribunal also found Dr Igwe’s medical skills were below par. In February 2025, Dr Igwe underwent a GMC performance assessment which declared his clinical management was “unacceptable” due to his poor prescribing and basic life support skills. Assessors determined these specific failings posed a direct risk to patient safety.

The GMC tribunal determined to remove Dr Igwe from the UK medical register on two distinct grounds: serious misconduct (owing to widespread dishonesty) and deficient professional performance.

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