Fabiola Alvarez will be sentenced next month in the Adelaide Magistrates Court for being an unregistered health practitioner

A former SA Health doctor worked multiple shifts in palliative care while unregistered – now she wants a second chance at rebooting her career.

Fabiola Alvarez pleaded guilty to working as a doctor at SA Health while unregistered. Picture: Lucy Rutherford

A former SA Health doctor is fighting to not have a conviction recorded against her after she was caught working 19 shifts while unregistered.

Fabiola Martinez Alvarez, 38, was “spread thin” during the time her health practitioner registration was due and continued working months after it expired.

A Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) prosecutor told the court a conviction should be recorded against Alvarez as a need for protection against the community.

The court heard Alvarez is qualified and had been involved in the Australian medical system since 2007.

“While she was employed by SA Health – in particular the essential Adelaide palliative care service – she breached the health practitioner national law by engaging in work while she was unregistered to do so,” the prosecutor said.

Fabiola Alvarez leaving the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: Lucy Rutherford

The court heard Alvarez worked as a doctor while unregistered in Adelaide and other places during the period of December 2, 2018 and January 9, 2019.

The prosecutor told the court that Alvarez was emailed with her new contract of employment from SA Health, with a reminder to re-register three days prior to her registration expiring.

Alvarez’s registration expired in August, 2018 and she was charged with working 19 shifts while unregistered.

“This only came to an end because her employer told her to stop working in January,” the prosecutor said.

Alvarez, of Lockleys, pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court to claiming to be a registered health practitioner when unregistered.

For Alvarez, Aris Tolis told the court a conviction against his client – who is a Mexican national – would have “catastrophic effects” upon her family.

“A conviction has the potential to prohibit them from remaining residents in Australia,” Mr Tolis said.

Mr Tolis told the court Alvarez didn’t receive the registration reminder letters from AHPRA and during the time when her registration was due Alvarez was “spread thin.”

“She was managing quite an excessive workload, she was also attending to a young child, she was also grieving the loss of her father – she pretty much had not given herself the opportunity to attend to that,” Mr Tolis said

The court heard Alvarez had been unemployed for the past few years because of allowing her registration to lapse and had only found work recently.

“She’s contracted work as a carer … here is a qualified medical practitioner who is now attending to the needs of the elderly,” Mr Tolis said.

“This is a defendant who’s looking for a second chance to reboot her medical career.”

Magistrate David McLeod adjourned the sentencing until next month.