Nigerian Dietitian Removed from UK Register for Falsified Job Application

Ifeyinwa Chizube Ndulue-Nonso, a Nigerian dietitian, has been removed from the professional register in the UK after a tribunal found that she had made false claims about her expertise to obtain a position for which she lacked the necessary qualifications.

This decision was made by a panel from the Health and Care Professions Council, which held hearings from March 2 to March 10, 2026.

The tribunal concluded that Ndulue-Nonso had seriously misrepresented her abilities in her application for a Band 6 dietitian role at the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, where she falsely asserted experience in critical areas, including cancer treatment, neurology, gastrointestinal issues, artificial nutrition, and advanced nutritional management.

However, shortly after starting her role in February 2024, supervisors expressed significant concerns regarding her qualifications. Evidence presented showed she struggled to explain fundamental medical conditions like coeliac disease and irritable bowel syndrome and exhibited a lack of comprehension of essential dietetic principles.

Supervisors noted significant deficiencies in her knowledge, including challenges in calculating body mass index (BMI), recognizing dysphagia symptoms, analyzing clinical data, and understanding various feeding techniques. In an alarming incident, she reportedly confused a feeding tube with a breathing tube.

The tribunal heard that Ndulue-Nonso acknowledged exaggerating her experience and, on occasion, resorted to researching basic medical terms during evaluations while misrepresenting her familiarity with them. During questioning, her answers to basic anatomy questions were incorrect, raising further doubts about her competency.

The panel concluded that her actions were not just mistakes but involved a pattern of deliberate dishonesty from the application process through her time in the role. They determined that her conduct significantly compromised trust in the profession.

While no patients were harmed due to the preventative measures taken by her supervisors, the tribunal cautioned that permitting her to continue practicing could have posed serious risks to patient safety.

In light of the seriousness of her misconduct, the panel decided that neither a suspension nor conditions of practice would be adequate, thus opting for her removal from the register as the only appropriate response. An interim suspension order of 18 months was also put in place while any potential appeals are considered, underscoring the gravity of the case and the importance of maintaining public confidence in healthcare professionals.