‘Fake anaesthetist’ arrested over deaths of several patients

Woman worked for two years before authorities intervened

Woman has been arrested after allegedly posing as a 'fake doctor' in Germany (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A woman forged documents so she could get a job as anaesthetic assistant has been arrested in connection with the deaths of four people by police in Germany.

The 48-year-old, who has not been named, is being investigated on suspicion of manslaughter, assault, document forgery, fraud and abuse of position.

Although she had no medical qualifications, she forged documents that allowed her to be employed as an anaesthetic assistant.

After her initial arrest last week over four patients' deaths, authorities said they were investigating whether the woman was linked to other fatalities.

Police seized files from the hospital, including work rotas, local media reported.

The suspect is said to have worked for two years as an assistant anaesthetist at Fritzlar’s Hospital of the Holy Spirit in the central state of Hesse.

It is believed that she made several mistakes including giving patients the wrong medication and wrong doses.

She is also said to have failed to recognise when her patients were having breathing difficulties.

Her superiors are also being investigated for negligence.

In Germany there are 17 regional medical licensing chambers, with no central registration centre.

Eugen Brysch, chairman of the German Foundation for Patient Protection said the system made it "very easy" for fraudsters to slip through the net and that reforms were urgently needed.

He said: "It's about time that the licensing of a doctor is centrally archived and that an entity be created where hospital operators are required to make queries."

Local police have now set up a hotline to gather more information from former patients about the woman’s actions.