"Double-running" Blackpool doctor who was key to Covid effort is cleared of misconduct

Dr Kate Ogah worked at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMB) as a Consultant Microbiologist between 2015 and 2022. In 2019 she changed her working pattern to less than full time, and in addition to her role with UHMB, worked as a locum Doctor for MEDACS between October 2018 to January 2022, also as a Consultant Microbiologist. All locum shifts were undertaken at Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Trust (BTH).

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In March 2020 when the country entered lockdown as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, Dr Ogah was required to work from home by UHMB. This arrangement allowed Dr Ogah - from April 2020 to July 2021 - to undertake shifts as a locum at BTH simultaneously to her contracted work at UHMB, enabled by separate computers. Dr Ogah worked 94 shifts for UHMB and BTH on the same days and during that period, she is alleged to have been paid a sum of £ 25,572.11 which has been paid back to BTH and UHMB

The General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) case against Dr Ogah was that she acted dishonestly and she purposely did not speak to colleagues about the concurrent working - colloquially known as “double running” - to avoid being told that she must not do it, and they noted that she had undertaken an online mandatory training course on anti-fraud in the NHS.

Dr Ogah’s case

Dr Ogah admitted working the shifts, but not that she acted dishonestly. Her case was that she had been working as a locum at BTH since January 2018 on her non-working day at UHMB, on lieu days and sometimes on annual leave. She did this to earn more money.

This changed at the end of March 2020 when lockdown was imposed to control the spread of Covid 19 during the pandemic. Dr Ogah stated that she increased her locum shifts because of the "call to arms". According to a MPTS report, Dr Ogah told the tribunal: “‘It was almost like a war zone where you just jumped in and helped. I was working around the clock…. I wanted to do more……I needed the money, and I offered my service and I provided that service, so it wasn't, it wasn't charity.”

Crucial member of staff

There was a shortage of microbiologists in both hospitals and the tribunal accepted the evidence from a professor and a doctor, that their respective microbiology departments “would not have been able to meet the demands placed on them without Dr Ogah covering as she did.”

The Tribunal noted that there was no attempt by Dr Ogah to disguise the fact that she was working simultaneously for two employers and accepted evidence that she was under the impression that all her colleagues knew she was working for both Trusts. Dr Ogah asserted she did not know at the time that she was doing something wrong and was “devastated “when her actions were questioned.

Findings

The Tribunal found that Dr Ogah “has good insight, has expressed genuine regret, was immediately contrite and had repaid the money she had been paid for 'double running”. Panel members said there was little likelihood of repetition, Dr Ogah has no disciplinary history and is “highly regarded” by her colleagues.

An MPTS report says: “The Tribunal found that Dr Ogah is an experienced and hard-working doctor who is passionate about her profession. The Tribunal found that she was unlikely to jeopardise her long standing career by attempting to defraud her employers in a time of crisis but rather that she was naïve and negligent in her approach to form filling and administration.” The Tribunal concluded that Dr Ogah's conduct did not constitute misconduct. No warnings were given.