Nurse in £5,000 fraud forged boss’s signature

Michael Haden, 34, was employed as a nurse practitioner in the accident and emergency department at Hull Royal Infirmary when he submitted the false claims, mainly for overtime.

He was wrongly paid more than £5,000 by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, where staff discovered the fraud after Haden had left the organisation.

Haden, of The Tannery, Lawrence Street, York, submitted “several” claims for payments when he was not at work and forged his manager’s signature on four occasions.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud by false representation when he appeared at Hull Magistrates’ Court and was given a 24-month conditional discharge. Haden was also ordered to pay back £5,624.32 and pay £500 costs within 28 days.

The trust said it was investigating the fraud before deciding whether to report Haden to his professional body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Trust chief executive Phil Morley said: “The trust can confirm that this individual no longer works for our organisation. However, we are investigating this incident in order that we can understand exactly what and how this happened.

“Once this investigation is complete we will decide whether or not to advise their professional body. Until such time we are unable to make any further comment.”

Haden’s former colleagues at the trust were informed of a nurse being convicted of fraud in this month’s staff newsletter, although he was not identified.

It said: “A nurse from the trust pleaded guilty to the charge of fraud by false representation, section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006, when they appeared before Hull Magistrates’ Court.

“The nurse submitted several claim forms claiming they had worked for the trust on various days when on annual leave, sick leave or compassionate leave.

“The nurse also falsified their manager’s signature on four of the claim forms in order to receive payment for the shifts not done.”