NHS Nurse Sentenced After Working Second Job While Out on Paid Sick Leave
A nurse within the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK who collected sick leave pay while off from her job, but secretly worked another job at the same time, has now been ordered to repay the NHS.
Claire Dawson, who worked in the Accident & Emergency department at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, was convicted of fraud after an investigation revealed she had been working shifts with the Scottish Nursing Guild while simultaneously claiming sick leave pay from NHS Forth Valley.
The misconduct began in March 2022, when Dawson went on leave, citing Covid-related illness and diabetes complications. She claimed to be too sick to work her normal job, but then went on to work for pay at the Scottish Nursing Guild.
While receiving full pay (later reduced to half pay) from her NHS employer, Dawson earned over £6,600 from the agency. NHS Scotland Counter Fraud Services launched an investigation in August 2022 following allegations of her dual employment arrangement. Their findings revealed that Dawson had defrauded the health board of more than £8,000 during her absence.
The legal consequences were significant. After pleading guilty at Falkirk Sheriff Court in February 2024, Dawson was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid community work and ordered to repay £2,400 to NHS Forth Valley.
Beyond the criminal proceedings, Dawson faced separate scrutiny from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The regulatory body discovered that Dawson had falsely stated on a job application in August 2023 that she was not subject to any fitness-to-practice proceedings or fraud investigations.
The NMC determined her actions had “breached fundamental tenets of nursing practice” and were “liable to bring the nursing profession into disrepute.” As a result, they imposed a 12-month suspension from nursing practice.
The NHS takes “sickness absence fraud” seriously and put a post up on X encouraging anyone who suspects fraud to report it.
— NHS Scotland Counter Fraud (@NHSSCFS) June 10, 2024
