Nurse stripped of license after stealing €20k from unpaid shifts

Nurse Convicted of Fraud and Stripped of Registration

A nurse has been removed from the nursing register after being found guilty of fraudulently pocketing over €20,000 by falsifying her work rosters. 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 report from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise committee, some of the shifts were remunerated at the standard rate, but the majority were paid at an enhanced rate applicable to night shifts, bank holidays, and weekends. As a result, Chareka unlawfully obtained £19,575.41 and accrued 540 hours as time off in lieu (TOIL) for work she had not actually carried out.

During sentencing, the judge remarked that Chareka "engaged in repeated and premeditated dishonesty over a period of two years". In 2024, Chareka entered a guilty plea and received an 18-month suspended sentence alongside a rehabilitation activity requirement for 15 days and an unpaid work requirement of 200 hours.

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", 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".

Alexandra Monaghan, acting on behalf of Chareka, informed the panel that she had "demonstrated genuine remorse and insight" into how serious her actions were. She added that Chareka had "expressed repeated heartfelt apologies" while dedicating significant time to considering her behaviour.

The report highlighted that the facts leading to Chareka's conviction included the repeated allocation and booking of shifts she did not work by accessing the roster and adding shifts retrospectively for her financial and personal gain. Her dishonesty also included taking TOIL.

The panel was concerned about the potential impact of her conduct on patient services and the workforce. Chareka's actions removed substantial funds from the trust during and beyond the Covid pandemic, which placed pressure on already challenged NHS resources. Her dishonest receipt of TOIL meant that rather than working the shifts, the shifts would need to be covered by others.

Ms Welsh informed the tribunal that the "only sanction capable of maintaining public confidence in the profession and marking the seriousness of your misconduct is a striking-off order". However, 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 ultimately decided to remove 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.

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