NHS Doctor and Husband Jailed for Selling Stolen PPE Kits Online During COVID Pandemic

In a disturbing breach of medical ethics, an NHS doctor and her husband have been jailed for 10 months each after they were found guilty of selling stolen PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) kits on eBay during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pair admitted in Paisley Court this Friday to selling the items online at a time when NHS Scotland was struggling to get hold of them.

Addressing the pair, she added, “As a doctor you clearly knew that PPE was essential for your colleagues and by extension their families. You did this together out of sheer greed. It is hard to imagine a more egregious breach of trust, not only in respect of your colleagues but of society.”

Made £8,000 by Selling Stolen Items

At the time of the offence, Dr. Attiya Sheikh, 46, was working as a locum doctor at Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride, while her husband, Omer Sheikh, 48, was running his family restaurant.

By selling stolen gloves, face masks, and wipes online between 30 May and 7 October 2020, when the virus was rapidly spreading in the UK and the NHS was in dire need of safety equipment, they made almost £8,000.

Caught After Company Spotted Their Products Online

But the incident only came to light when the company, Fannin, spotted its products on the eBay website, which raised doubts because the company only supplies its products directly to NHS Scotland.

Immediately, a complaint was raised, and NHS Counter Fraud Services started their investigation in October 2020 and found that the couple was using four separate accounts to sell these items.

NHS fraud services specialists, after getting the legal permission, carried out a search at the couple’s home in Glasgow and recovered 121 boxes of rubber gloves and face masks belonging to the NHS, hidden in their attic.

Gordon Young, head of NHS Scotland counter fraud services, in conversation with BBC News, called the crime outrageous.

Further investigations revealed that the couple was selling these items for 15–20 pounds per box.

Doctor Accepts Full Responsibility

On being questioned, Attiya Sheikh initially claimed that she did not steal anything from the hospital, but that it was given to her by another person from the hospital in the parking lot. However, no such person was identified.

They were sentenced to 12 months in jail, but after listening to the couple’s guilty pleas, the judge reduced it to 10 months.

Both the advocates—John Scullion KC, representing the doctor, and Advocate Kevin Henry, representing her husband—mentioned how their clients have recognized that this was a very big mistake on their part. They have understood the impact their offence has left on the NHS frontline workers in a time of need and fully accept the responsibility for their actions.

The doctor’s lawyer also mentioned how the mother of three is currently unemployed and has now lived for almost five years with the shame of having betrayed the values of her profession.

As per the General Medical Council (GMC), the decision regarding Dr. Sheikh’s registration is still pending.

What It Shows

Cases like this do not just end with a sentence—they leave a mark on public trust. During a time when health workers were risking their lives, the idea of someone from within misusing that role for profit naturally led to anger and disappointment. Even with the couple held accountable, the fallout from such breaches tends to stay with people for a long time.

(Rh/Pooja Bansal/MSM/SE)