A doctor has been suspended for 12 months after failing to tell the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust about a conviction for falsely using a passport.
Dr Victor Evbuomwan studied botany and microbiology at the University of Ibadan from 1995 to 2000, then came to the UK on a visa and studied at the University of Bedfordshire, declaring his intention to claim asylum on arrival. He qualified as a doctor in St Lucia in 2012, joined the Medical and Dental Council in Nigeria in April 2013 and worked at the Federal Medical Centre from 2013 to 2019. He returned to the UK in 2019 and gained GMC registration on 28 October 2022.
Between July 2004 and October 2005, Dr Evbuomwan falsely used a passport on several occasions in Berkshire. On 24 August 2007 he was convicted on four counts of using a false instrument and two counts of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception, and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, to be served concurrently.
When asked about the conviction by his employer on 29 February 2024, he said: "I understood it was an immigration matter of over 15 years ago that has been successfully appealed." At an MPTS hearing he admitted making that comment but disputed that the conviction was for fraud/criminal offences, saying he had only appealed a deportation order.
The panel concluded the conviction was not merely an immigration matter and found his conduct dishonest — a finding Dr Evbuomwan did not accept. He faced 14 charges in total: some admitted, some found proved and some not proved. The majority of the allegations relate to the period he worked in Berkshire, and the panel found he made false declarations when completing forms about his court conviction. He also worked at Northampton General Hospital.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service has suspended Dr Evbuomwan’s registration with immediate effect for 12 months.
Paul Rogers, Local Democracy Reporter
