An NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) investigation has led to the conviction of a former NHS employee after he caused a loss of £279,000 to Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (WAHT) through fraudulent activity, which included the theft of hospital stock that was then sold back to the trust.
Emmanuel Nbanga, 45, of Skye Close, Smith’s Wood, Solihull, was found guilty of fraud by abuse of position and fraudulent trading on 30 June 2026 following a trial at Worcester Crown Court.
Two others were also convicted for their involvement in the fraud.
Solomon Adeyemi, 57, of Cole Hall Lane, Birmingham, was found guilty of fraudulent trading on 30 June 2026 following a trial at Worcester Crown Court.
Remilekun Olusesi, 40, of Skye Close, Smith’s Wood, Solihull, was found guilty of money laundering through the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property on 30 June 2026, following a trial at Worcester Crown Court.
All three had previously pleaded not guilty at a hearing at Worcester Crown Court on 19 July 2021.
Nbanga was employed as a materials management assistant at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (WAHT).
Adeyemi was the director of a company called Ultimate Medical (UK) Ltd (UML), based in Tyseley, Birmingham. Olusesi is employed by Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (BSMHFT) as a healthcare assistant.
Between October 2016 and September 2019, Nbanga stole medical supplies from operating theatre stock rooms at the Alexandra Hospital and passed it onto UML, who then sold the items back to WAHT. This meant that the trust was effectively buying back its own stock.
The trust became suspicious of UML and decided to make its own enquiries into the company. Some of the packages delivered by UML were opened by hospital staff prior to their delivery to hospital theatres.
They noticed that identification numbers on some delivered items matched those of items that had been previously ordered and delivered to the trust, either by UML or another supplier.
In total, WAHT spent almost £233,000 buying back its own stock.
Including supplied items that were sourced from China, UML had invoiced the trust for orders totalling £306,000, but the trust had withheld some payments due to its suspicions about UML.
Checks made by WAHT showed that Nbanga made the request to set up UML as a registered supplier to the trust and also initiated all of the trust’s business with UML. In addition, UML’s only customer was WAHT. The NHS Shared Business Service (NHS SBS), who process the invoices for numerous trusts, including WAHT, confirmed that UML was not supplying goods to any other NHS trust within their remit.
WAHT referred the case to their local counter fraud specialist, who escalated matters to the NHSCFA’s National Investigation Service. The investigation found that funds paid by the trust into UML’s business account were redirected to Lawyis Medical UK Ltd, a shell company set up by Olusesi, and to personal accounts in the names of all three defendants.
Additionally, UML supplied the Alexandra Hospital with sub-standard warm-up jackets, needle containers and drug labels that they sourced from China.
Although these products were not stolen from the hospital, the trust determined that they could not be assured of their quality and safety for use on patients and therefore destroyed all existing stock. This caused the trust to spend additional funds replacing these with products sourced from other, established suppliers.
Nbanga and Adeyemi were arrested and interviewed in September 2019 and searches were carried out at their home addresses and at UML’s business address. Items identified as stolen NHS stock valued at more than £16,000 were recovered. They were reinterviewed in March 2020. Olusesi was also interviewed in 2020.
Adeyemi had previously pleaded guilty to possessing/controlling identity documents with intent after using a forged Nigerian passport, a forged NINO (national insurance number) card and bank statements in a false name, which he used to apply, successfully, for jobs as a healthcare assistant, via an agency, at two NHS trusts.
He earned almost £119,000 from these two jobs, taking the full value of NHS losses to £367,759. In addition to this, by virtue of withholding payment to UML, the trust saved itself over £43,000.
They will be sentenced at a later date. Adeyemi and Nbanga have been remanded in custody as the judge, His Honour Judge Lockhart KC, considered them to be a flight risk.
Ben Harrison, Head of Operations and Engagement at the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, said:
"This case demonstrates the serious consequences that await those who seek to defraud the NHS.
“Nbanga abused his trusted position to systematically steal vital medical stock and arrange for it to be sold back to the very trust he was employed by, effectively making the NHS pay twice for its own medical supplies. The involvement of multiple individuals and two shell companies shows the calculated and organised nature of this fraud.
“Their actions have caused significant financial impact on NHS services. As a result of the thefts and subsequent resupply by UML, the trust was effectively paying for stock it already owned, resulting in unnecessary costs.
“This fraud also posed a direct risk to patients, as substandard and unsanitary goods entering hospital theatres could have had serious consequences for their health and safety.
“Every pound stolen from the NHS is a pound that cannot be spent on frontline services and the NHSCFA is committed to pursuing those responsible wherever the evidence leads.”
Stephen Collman, Managing Director of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said:
“We cannot, and will not, tolerate theft, fraud, bribery or corruption, especially where it deprives the NHS of much needed funds and adversely impacts on our staff and patients.
“This was an extensive and sustained programme of fraud which cost the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds, made all the worse by the fact that it was carried out by NHS staff members abusing their positions of trust.
“We thank the CFA for their diligence and support in investigating this case and in securing these convictions.”
You can report NHS fraud anonymously on 0800 028 40 60, our 24-hour reporting line powered by Crimestoppers. You can also report it confidentially on our website at www.cfa.nhs.uk/reportfraud.