Nurse defrauded NHS trust with false shifts claims

A senior nurse who defrauded an NHS trust by claiming for 57 shifts she had not worked has been given a suspended jail term.

Charlotte Woodward, 35, worked at Horton Hospital in Banbury, Oxfordshire, when she was given her manager's log-in details to book agency staff.

She booked false shifts between November 2021 and March 2022 and claimed about £13,700, Oxford Crown Court heard.

Woodward, of Bannerman Drive, Brackley, Northamptonshire, admitted fraud and was sacked by Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Trust in October 2022.

She had worked as a Band 7 nurse at the hospital's emergency department throughout the pandemic and was diagnosed with PTSD after a patient kicked her in the face, the court heard.

But her partner had a drug debt and she was concerned that it needed to be paid.

Woodward admitted one count of fraud by false representation at Oxford Magistrates' Court in February.

Judge Nigel Daly said despite her "significant mitigation", she had abused the trust placed in her.

He sentenced Woodward to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and told her that she must complete 80 hours of unpaid work.

A hearing will be held in August to determine how much of the money she will need to pay back.

The court heard Woodward is still working as a nurse but at a different trust.

An OUH spokesperson said: "We take any incidences of fraud incredibly seriously here at OUH.

"We took immediate action and opened an investigation as soon as these discrepancies came to light.

"The member of staff in question no longer works for the trust."

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