Nurse who raked in thousands in sick pay while working claims it was 'harmless mistake'

A Merseyside nurse who claimed nearly £6,000 in sick pay from an NHS trust while fraudulently working elsewhere claims she made a "harmless mistake." For over a year, Lian Kenny drew sick pay from North West Care NHS Foundation Trust , which subsequently merged with Mersey Care. Yet between August 2020 and October 2021, Mrs Kelly was simultaneously employed by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust despite allegedly being unable to work. A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing heard how Mrs Kelly, who registered in September 2015, became subject to an investigation in September 2021. She fully acknowledged the charge put to her by the NMC during a hearing conducted in her absence. In a reflective statement, Mrs Kenny said she "deeply" regretted her "lapse in judgement." Mrs Kenny was employed at the Trust from December 11 2018 until October 31 2021 as a community nurse team leader. According to documentation following the meeting's conclusion earlier this month, Maria Tyson, head of nursing at Mersey Care submitted a referral to the NMC in November 2021. The referral outlined how while employed by Mersey Care, Mrs Kenny was also working for Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – now incorporated into NHS North Cheshire and Mersey – through an agency. It was claimed that in September 2021, a colleague reported that Mrs Kenny had been working at Bridgewater while simultaneously signed off on paid sick leave. A subsequent anti-fraud investigation conducted by Mersey Internal Audit Agency (MIAA) revealed that Mrs Kenny had collected sick pay from the Trust totalling £5,993.51. The MIAA did not recommend criminal proceedings, on the grounds that the overpayment was relatively modest and could be reimbursed, reports the Liverpool Echo . Mrs Kenny and the NMC reached an agreement that by accepting sick pay while signed off, yet continuing to work as a registered nurse at a separate trust, she had behaved dishonestly for personal financial gain. Both parties concurred that such conduct falls far below the standards expected of a registered nurse. Mrs Kenny repaid the full amount to Mersey Care and undertook a period of reflection, demonstrating genuine insight into her shortcomings and expressing remorse. In a statement submitted to the NMC, she said: "I deeply regret my lapse in judgement. "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 want to assure the NMC that I do not see myself as a nurse who made a harmless mistake. 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. I respectfully ask the panel to consider not only the mistake I made, but the person I have become as a result of confronting it. I remain committed to upholding the standards of the NMC Code not simply because they are required, but because they reflect the nurse I intend to be." Mrs Kelly is currently employed exclusively with Alamaz Limited as clinical lead for their vaccination service. Both parties agreed that the likelihood of the misconduct being repeated is minimal. As a result, she was handed an immediate six-month suspension from nursing. She will be permitted to return to practise on October 27.