Man Admits Posing as Medical Student at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in Fraud Case

A 22-year-old man has confessed to impersonating a medical student at one of Scotland's largest hospitals, gaining access to restricted wards, staff-only areas, and confidential medical files over a period spanning several weeks.

Stephen Simpson, from Aberdeen, entered a guilty plea to fraud when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, admitting that he had deceived hospital employees into believing he was a legitimate medical student authorised to be inside Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI).

The court heard that Simpson wore medical scrubs and NHS-branded clothing during his visits to the hospital, and that he also carried a stethoscope and a pager to add credibility to his false identity. These items helped him blend in among genuine clinical staff and avoid raising suspicion.

According to the charge accepted by the Crown, Simpson's fraudulent activity took place between 9 December 2023 and 26 January 2024. During that period, he repeatedly presented himself to hospital employees as a medical student, inducing them to allow him to remain on the premises.

The deception enabled Simpson to gain access to areas of the hospital that are normally off-limits to the general public, including restricted corridors, staff-only facilities, and working wards. Perhaps most significantly, he was also able to access medical files, raising serious concerns about patient confidentiality and data security at the hospital.

Beyond the fraud charge, Simpson also admitted to stealing a number of items during his time at the hospital. These included NHS-branded clothing, a pager, and a bottle of perfume.

Simpson had originally faced a total of six charges — one of fraud and five separate theft charges. The fraud allegation initially covered a longer period, from 22 September 2023 to 26 January 2024, suggesting that investigators at one stage believed his deception may have begun earlier than the dates ultimately accepted by the court.

However, his solicitor, Laura Gracie, told the court that Simpson was pleading guilty to two amended charges. The amended pleas were accepted by fiscal Dylan Middleton, who was representing the Crown in the case.

The case was heard before Sheriff Morag McLaughlin, who deferred sentence to allow for the preparation of reports. A criminal justice social work report will be compiled, and an assessment for a restriction of liberty order will also be carried out before Simpson returns to court later this month.

The restriction of liberty order assessment indicates that the court is considering whether a community-based disposal — which can involve electronic tagging and curfews — might be an appropriate alternative to a custodial sentence, depending on the outcome of the background reports.

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary is the largest hospital in the north-east of Scotland and serves a wide catchment area covering the city of Aberdeen and the surrounding regions, including parts of Aberdeenshire, Moray, and the northern isles. It provides a comprehensive range of acute services, including emergency care, surgery, and specialist medical treatment.

The hospital operates under the management of NHS Grampian, the regional health board responsible for healthcare delivery across the north-east of Scotland. NHS Grampian has been asked for comment on the case, but no response has yet been made public.

The incident raises wider questions about security and access control within NHS facilities. Hospitals are complex environments with large numbers of staff, students, and visitors moving between departments at any given time, and clinical attire such as scrubs and stethoscopes is commonplace, which can make it difficult to identify individuals who do not belong.

Medical students regularly rotate through hospital placements as part of their training, meaning that unfamiliar faces in clinical areas are not unusual. This creates a challenging environment for staff who must balance openness and accessibility with the need to protect patients, their personal information, and hospital property.

Patient confidentiality is a particularly sensitive issue. Medical files contain some of the most private information individuals possess, including details of diagnoses, treatments, and personal circumstances. Unauthorised access to such records — even without evidence that the information was misused — represents a significant breach of the trust that patients place in the health service.

The case has attracted attention in the north-east of Scotland and beyond, partly because of the unusual nature of the offending and partly because of the length of time over which Simpson was allegedly able to maintain his deception. The fact that he was able to pass himself off as a medical student for several weeks before being detected has prompted questions about the robustness of security arrangements at the hospital.

Simpson's guilty plea brings the case closer to a conclusion, but sentencing has yet to take place. The reports ordered by Sheriff McLaughlin will provide the court with information about Simpson's personal circumstances, background, and the risk he may pose, all of which will inform the eventual sentence.

The outcome of the restriction of liberty order assessment will be a key factor in determining whether Simpson receives a community-based disposal or a custodial sentence. Courts in Scotland frequently use such assessments when considering alternatives to imprisonment, particularly for younger offenders or those with no significant prior record.

The case is expected to return to Aberdeen Sheriff Court later this month, when Simpson will learn his sentence and the full consequences of his deception at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.