The whisteblower who unmasked bogus psychiatrist Linda Astor 25 years ago is shocked that a man with no medical qualifications was able to work at Middlemore Hospital this year.
A police investigation is underway into the actions of Yuvaraj Krishnan, who faked a medical qualification to get a job as a clinical researcher with Middlemore Hospital's respiratory unit.
The alarm was raised by his colleagues who became increasingly concerned about his poor clinical practice.
Robyn Byers, who was general manager of health and addictions at Nelson-Marlborough District Health Board during Astor's brief tenure, said cutting corners in health recruitment was dangerous.
"As a manager, the first thing you do after the interview is go through the referee checks before you confirm the appointment. So I'm somewhat surprised it could happen again."
Polish-born Astor, who was hired as the clinical head of psychiatry while Byers was on leave, had "glowing references" from her previous employer, Hutt Valley District Health Board.
It was only after she was exposed as a fraud that her role in releasing a violent and insane killer from Hutt Hospital was revealed.
Leslie Parr decapitated his girlfriend Fiona Maulolo at her Naenae home in April 1997, a year after Astor scrapped his compulsory treatment without even meeting him.
Astor started work at Nelson on 6 January.
Byers said she became suspicious very shortly after meeting her and was already looking into Astor's background by 17 January.
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