A nurse who fraudulently claimed nearly £20,000 by adding shifts to rosters that she did not work has been struck off the nursing register.
Details of the fraud
Faith Chareka, who worked in the emergency department at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, recorded 50 false shifts between November 1, 2020, and February 1, 2023. She was paid at a basic rate for some of these shifts, but the majority—logged as night shifts, bank holidays, and weekends—were paid at an enhanced rate.
According to a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise committee report, Chareka received £19,575.41 as a result of her dishonesty and also gained 540 hours as time off in lieu (TOIL).
Legal consequences
Chareka was convicted of fraud by abuse of position. She pleaded guilty in 2024 and received an 18-month suspended sentence, which included a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Rosie Welsh, case presenter for the NMC, said that during sentencing, Chareka's offending was described as being “committed against a publicly funded NHS body already under financial pressure”.
Ms Welsh added that Chareka, who was dismissed by the trust in 2023 after an investigation, “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”.
Panel decision
Alexandra Monaghan, representing Chareka, said she had “demonstrated genuine remorse and insight” into the seriousness of her conduct and had “expressed repeated heartfelt apologies” while reflecting on her actions.
The NMC report stated: “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.”
It continued: “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 Monaghan reminded the panel that Chareka had been “sufficiently punished in the criminal court” and argued that the purpose of sanction was not to punish. However, Ms Welsh submitted that the “only sanction capable of maintaining public confidence in the profession” and marking the seriousness of Chareka's misconduct was a striking-off order.
Outcome
The panel struck Chareka off the nursing register, but the order cannot take effect until the end of a 28-day appeal period. To cover any potential appeal, an interim suspension order for 18 months was imposed.
