Man Admits Posing as Medical Student at Aberdeen Hospital

Stephen Simpson, 22, has admitted to pretending to be a medical student for several weeks at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI), accessing hospital wards and patient files. Simpson appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to fraud and theft.

Simpson wore medical scrubs and NHS-branded clothing, and carried a stethoscope, which enabled him to gain access to restricted areas and patient records. He also admitted to stealing NHS-branded clothing, a pager, and perfume.

The court heard that Simpson originally faced six charges, including one of fraud and five of theft. However, he pleaded guilty to two amended charges: pretending to employees that he was an authorized medical student at ARI and the theft of several items.

Sentence has been deferred until later this month for reports, including a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment. NHS Grampian has been contacted for comment.