An NHS doctor and her husband have been jailed for ten months each after they were found guilty of selling stolen personal protective equipment (PPE) on eBay during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Attiya Sheikh, 46, who worked at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride, and her husband Omer Sheikh, 48, made nearly £8,000 from selling gloves, face masks and wipes online at a time when NHS staff were desperately struggling to get the equipment they needed to stay safe.
The couple’s actions were branded “an egregious breach of trust” by Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill, who sentenced them at Paisley Sheriff Court. She told the court that the crime had been committed at a time “when the world was in a heightened state of fear and anxiety.”
The case came to light when NHS Scotland supplier Fannin noticed their branded products being sold online and reported the matter to NHS Scotland Counter Fraud Services. Investigators linked four eBay accounts to the Sheikhs and secured a search warrant.
During a raid on their home in Thornliebank in October 2020, officials discovered 121 boxes of rubber gloves and a box of face masks hidden in the attic. The stolen PPE had been listed online for £15 to £20 per box.
Dr Sheikh initially claimed she had been handed the items by someone in the hospital car park, but investigators were unable to identify this person and she later admitted guilt. Her lawyer said she bitterly regretted her actions and accepted full responsibility.
The judge noted that Dr Sheikh, as a medical professional, would have been fully aware of how critical PPE was to frontline staff during the early stages of the pandemic.
“The NHS was facing an unprecedented crisis,” said Sheriff Gill. “There was a severe shortage of PPE not only in this country but globally. As a doctor, you clearly knew this PPE was essential for your colleagues’ safety – and by extension, their families.”
The judge reduced the couple’s sentence from the maximum 12 months to 10, in recognition of their early guilty plea.
Gordon Young, head of NHS Scotland’s Counter Fraud Services, called the crime “outrageous.”
“To make a profit out of people’s fears and out of a shortage of equipment that was desperately needed—it really is the opposite message to what the NHS stands for,” he said.
Trust Betrayed
This case is a stark reminder of how trust in public institutions—particularly during national emergencies—can be undermined by the actions of a few. NHS workers were hailed as heroes during the pandemic, and many risked their lives to care for others. The Sheikhs’ decision to exploit the system for profit stands in painful contrast.
While justice has now been served, the damage done to public confidence, and the betrayal felt by Dr Sheikh’s colleagues, will take longer to repair.
Paisley Photographs 