In a shocking turn of events, Jodi Lestner, a 37-year-old children’s doctor, has been struck off following a string of deceitful actions, including forging documents to avoid speeding penalties.
Speeding Incidents and Fabrications
- Lestner was caught speeding twice in 2018 on the M6 in Cheshire and Staffordshire.
- She then forged ambulance service letters and a doctor’s note, falsely claiming she was part of an emergency team conducting life-saving surgery, in an effort to maintain a clean driving license.
Exposure and Legal Consequences
- Her fabrications were exposed when police verified the documents with the North West and West Midlands ambulance services and a GP, all of whom confirmed the documents were fake.
- During the police investigation, Lestner provided another forged letter, falsely stating she had been admitted to the hospital for premature labour.
- She was caught speeding for a third time amid the investigation.
Medical Tribunal Hearing and Sentence
- Lestner, who most recently worked at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, faced a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing in Manchester.
- She was found guilty of serious professional misconduct.
- In 2020, under her married name Jodi Parikh, she received a four-month suspended prison sentence for perverting the course of justice related to the speeding incidents.
Current Status and Tribunal Decision
- Lestner, who did not attend the tribunal, is reportedly residing in Cardiff.
- Tribunal chairman Annie Hockaday, while acknowledging Lestner’s competence as a clinician, emphasized that the reputation of the medical profession was paramount, leading to the decision to strike her off the medical register.
Implications for Medical Profession
- The case highlights the serious consequences of dishonesty within the medical profession, particularly when it involves legal matters and public safety.
