Cardiff: Fraudulent NHS doctor's suspension extended

Dr Jones said he mostly regrets the wasted time and lost relationships due to his gambling addiction

A gambling-addicted doctor who was convicted of fraud has had his misconduct suspension extended by four months.

Dr Aled Meirion Jones, from Cardiff, admitted two counts of defrauding the NHS of £67,420 in January 2021.

He was later sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years, and given 200 hours of unpaid work.

A medical practitioners' tribunal in October 2021 also suspended his registration as a doctor for 12 months.

Dr Jones defrauded the NHS as he claimed for shifts he had not worked and stole cheques, while also borrowing from friends.

The tribunal service held a review hearing which looked at evidence about Dr Jones' ongoing recovery from his gambling addiction.

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However, the tribunal concluded Dr Jones' fitness to practise remains impaired because of his fraud conviction.

The panel agreed to extend his suspension for a further four months.

Dr Jones described his gambling addiction as "catastrophic" and said it had seen him lose £800,000.

"I'm enormously ashamed and I always will be, but I can't change the past and all I can do is recover and try to do good things," he said.