Nurse struck off scamming £19,500 from NHS by claiming for shifts she didn't work
Faith Chareka was convicted of fraud by abuse of position after fraudulently claiming over £19,500 for shifts she did not work
A nurse who pocketed nearly £20,000 by fraudulently logging shifts she never actually worked has been removed from the register.
Faith Chareka, employed in the emergency department at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, was found guilty of fraud by abuse of position after falsely recording 50 shifts spanning November 1 2020 to February 1 2023, a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise committee report revealed.
While some shifts were claimed at standard rates, most were billed at enhanced rates reserved for night shifts, bank holidays and weekends. Her dishonest actions netted her £19,575.41 in payments, alongside 540 hours of time off in lieu (TOIL) she was not entitled to claim, according to the report.
The sentencing judge stated that Chareka "engaged in repeated and premeditated dishonesty over a period of two years", the report notes.
In 2024, Chareka entered a guilty plea and received an 18-month suspended sentence, coupled with a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work, the report confirmed. The trust terminated Chareka's employment in 2023 following their internal investigation.
During sentencing, the fraud was characterised as having been "committed against a publicly funded NHS body already under financial pressure", according to Rosie Welsh, case presenter for the NMC.
Ms Welsh stated that 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", as outlined in the report.
Alexandra Monaghan, acting on behalf of Chareka, argued that she had "demonstrated genuine remorse and insight" regarding the gravity of her actions, and had "expressed repeated heartfelt apologies" while spending a significant amount of time reflecting on her behaviour.
The report states: "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 coronavirus > 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 hearing that 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 the aim of sanctions is not punitive and pointed out to the panel that Chareka had already been "sufficiently punished in the criminal court".
The panel removed Chareka from the nursing register.
Since the removal order cannot come into force until the 28-day appeal window closes, the panel implemented an interim suspension order lasting 18 months to account for any possible appeal period.