Nurse struck off after making over €20,000 from shifts she never worked
A nurse who fraudulently pocketed over €20,000 by falsifying her work rosters has been removed from the register.Faith Chareka, who was employed in the emergency department at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, was convicted of fraud by abuse of position after adding 50 shifts between 1 November 2020 and 1 February 2023, according to a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise committee report.While some of the shifts were remunerated at the standard rate, the bulk were paid at an enhanced rate applicable to night shifts, bank holidays and weekends.She unlawfully obtained £19,575.41 and accrued 540 hours as time off in lieu (TOIL) for work she had not actually carried out, the report stated.During sentencing, the judge remarked that Chareka "engaged in repeated and premeditated dishonesty over a period of two years", according to the report.Chareka entered a guilty plea in 2024 and received an 18-month suspended sentence alongside a rehabilitation activity requirement for 15 days and an unpaid work requirement of 200 hours, the report confirmed.Chareka was sacked by the trust in 2023 following an investigation.The offence was characterised during sentencing as being "committed against a publicly funded NHS body already under financial pressure", stated Rosie Welsh, case presenter for the NMC. Ms Welsh stated Chareka "placed patients at potential risk of harm by exposing the ED to the potential risk of understaffing, delays, reduced support for colleagues and wider strain upon the service", the report revealed.Alexandra Monaghan, acting on behalf of Chareka, informed the panel she had "demonstrated genuine remorse and insight" into how serious her actions were, adding she had "expressed repeated heartfelt apologies" while dedicating significant time to considering her behaviour.According to the report: "The facts leading to your conviction for fraud included the repeated allocation and booking of shifts you did not work by accessing the roster and adding shifts retrospectively for your financial and personal gain. Your dishonesty included taking TOIL."The panel was concerned about the potential impact of your conduct on patient services and the workforce. Your conduct removed substantial funds from the trust during and beyond the Covid pandemic, which placed pressure on already challenged NHS resources."Your dishonest receipt of TOIL meant that rather than you working the shifts, the shifts would need to be covered by others. The panel concluded that your conduct could have had a direct impact on human resources and the financial position of the trust."Ms Welsh informed the tribunal the "only sanction capable of maintaining public confidence in the profession and marking the seriousness of your misconduct is a striking-off order". Ms Monaghan argued that sanctions are not intended as punishment and pointed out that Chareka had already been "sufficiently punished in the criminal court".The panel removed Chareka from the nursing register.Since the striking-off order cannot come into force until the 28-day appeal window closes, the panel imposed an interim suspension order lasting 18 months to account for any possible appeal period.Want to see more of the stories you love from Dublin Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Dublin Live as a preferred source, simply click here.Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content.We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice
