A United Kingdom, UK, health tribunal has removed Ifenyinwa Chizube Ndulue-Nonso, a Nigerian national, from professional practice after determining that she falsified her credentials as a qualified dietitian.
Her dismissal followed a misconduct hearing conducted by the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service, HCPTS, on March 2, which found serious discrepancies in the qualifications she presented to secure employment.
The Health and Care Professions Council, HCPC, which regulates dietitians and other healthcare professionals across the UK, upheld the findings.
According to the tribunal, Ndulue-Nonso had persistently overstated her expertise to gain a role at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
She had relocated from Nigeria and commenced work on February 19, 2024, after achieving a 62 percent score during her interview process.
However, red flags about her competence surfaced almost immediately.
Evidence presented showed that she told colleagues that urine is stored in the gallbladder and that radiotherapy is used to treat heart failure — statements that raised serious concerns about her medical knowledge.
The panel also heard that she struggled with basic clinical tasks, including calculating body mass index, BMI, and incorrectly identified the sequence of the digestive system.
Her supervisor, Lorna Haywood, described these lapses as deeply troubling, emphasising that such knowledge is fundamental to the role of a dietitian.
Within days, Haywood escalated the matter, noting that Ndulue-Nonso lacked essential foundational understanding.
Further testimony revealed that she had no hands-on experience with key procedures, such as administering feeding through an intravenous catheter or using nutritional supplements, despite previously claiming otherwise.
The tribunal was also told that she had attended multiple NHS interviews and relied on feedback from those sessions to memorise correct responses.
Additional concerns emerged when she failed to recognise a feeding tube in a patient and was seen searching for basic medical terminology online during her duties.
She was subsequently suspended on March 12 while investigations were carried out into the accuracy of her claims.
Disciplinary findings later established that 20 of the 28 competencies she listed in her application were not supported by her actual knowledge or experience.
Although Ndulue-Nonso admitted she had exaggerated a bit, she denied intending to deceive, insisting that her application reflected her experience in Nigeria.
However, the panel ruled that her conduct was deliberate, extensive and sustained, warning that it posed a serious risk to patient safety.
She was ultimately struck off the professional register maintained by the HCPC, effectively barring her from practising as a registered dietitian in the United Kingdom.
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