Man who allegedly posed as nurse worked in NT health system

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A Darwin man allegedly worked as a nurse in the Northern Territory health system despite having no qualifications.

The man was charged on Monday with fraud after allegedly posing as a nurse for six weeks in a Queensland hospital, but now NT Health Minister John Elferink has confirmed he also worked in the NT health system.

The 30-year-old man was accused of using someone else’s employee registration number at the Aurukun Primary Health Centre on Cape York during February and March.

Mr Elferink said a review of nurse registrations had found the man had also allegedly impersonated a nurse in the Top End.

“The person worked with a specialist employment agency and was allocated shifts within the health service on five separate occasions between 21 June 2014 and 28 June 2014,” he said.

Mr Elferink said his department was reviewing the placements of the man in the health service in light of the allegations.

“A review of processes for establishing credentials of employed, casual and agency employees has commenced and the public can be confident that measures are in place to ensure this does not happen again,” he said.

“This was an agency placement and the situation is unacceptable.

“The department will now insist on a more robust credentialing check on all agency placements.”

The man is due to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court on April 24.