A woman who forged medical qualifications to work as NHS psychiatrist for 20 years has been jailed for seven years. 

Zholia Alemi worked as a psychiatrist across the UK, claiming to have qualified at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Alemi was employed as a locum psychiatrist by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) between April 2014 and April 2015.

Alemi’s lie began to unravel in 2016 when a carer reported concerns about her attempts to defraud an elderly patient and she was convicted of three fraud offences at Carlisle Crown Court.

Detective superintendent Matt Scott of Cumbria Police said: “We conducted search warrants in a number of properties, but predominantly in Northern Ireland at Alemi’s home address.

“What we found there was what I would describe as a treasure trove in terms of the investigation.

“There was what are now proven to be false certificates; there was what I’d describe as a forger’s kit with transfer letters, blank certificates of qualification that basically you could put almost anything you want on there, really.

"That was all located at that address along with thousands and thousands of other documents, letters, a number of which were false. So that really kick-started the investigation in terms of getting towards a prosecution.”

Giving evidence, Alemi said she and her family were tortured in Iran before she fled to New Zealand.

Mr Scott said there was no evidence to support her claim.

Sentencing her on Tuesday, Judge Hilary Manley said the offences “strike so very deeply at the heart of healthcare provisions in this country”.

Judge Manley said Alemi, who was able to detain patients against their will and prescribe powerful drugs, moved around the country to different posts to ensure “the finger of suspicion” did not point at her.

Once Alemi is sentenced, police will apply to claw back some of the money she fraudulently earned.