'Sick' nurse paid thousands while working elsewhere
Nursing and Midwifery CouncilA nurse who pocketed nearly £6,000 in sick pay from an NHS trust while working for another insisted she had made a "harmless mistake".
A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing was told Lian Kenny received sick pay from North West Care NHS Foundation Trust, which later merged with Mersey Care, for more than a year.
Between August 2020 and October 2021, and while supposedly unfit to work, Kenny was also employed by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust.
Although Kenny later returned the sick pay, the NMC suspended her from nursing with immediate effect for six months.
'Lapse in judgement'
A hearing held in Kenny's absence was told the nurse "deeply" regretted her "lapse in judgement".
Kenny worked as a community nurse team leader at the North West Care NHS Foundation Trust from December 2018 until 31 October 2021.
She was referred to the NMC in November 2021.
It was alleged that in September 2021, a member of staff reported that Kenny had been working at Bridgewater while signed off on paid sick leave from North West Care.
An anti-fraud investigation was subsequently carried out by Mersey Internal Audit Agency (MIAA), which found the nurse had received £5,993.51 in sick pay.
No criminal action was recommended by MIAA on the basis that the overpayment had been relatively low and could be repaid.
It was agreed between Kenny and the NMC that in receiving the sick pay while signed off but continuing to work as a registered nurse for a different trust, she had acted dishonestly for personal financial gain.
The parties agreed that such conduct fell far below the standards expected of a registered nurse.
'Accountability'
Kenny said: "It has been one of the most challenging periods of my professional life, but it has also been one of the most defining in terms of growth.
"I see myself as a nurse who failed to show courage when it mattered and who has worked deliberately to ensure that failure is not repeated.
"My integrity now feels more conscious, more deliberate, and more resilient than before.
"I have learned that professionalism is not about perfection; it is about accountability."
Kenny will be able to return to practice in October.
She now works as a clinical lead for a vaccination service.
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