Moonlighting doctor denies sick pay scam

Lucy Dawson had been on fully-paid leave from her job at the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, when she is alleged to have worked 10 shifts at hospitals in Worcester and Gloucester, earning £7,840.

The 45-year-old, who had been signed off from work with stress and depression, claimed she had been singled out by hospital bosses for being a “trouble-maker” after blowing the whistle on a colleague who later became her boss.

Newport Crown Court heard Dawson went on sick leave for two periods – but claimed she believed she had effectively been given permission to work as a locum doctor in Hereford and Worcester because it may aid her recovery.

The prosecution argue otherwise – saying Dawson had not told her employers at Aneurin Bevan Health Board nor officials over the border in England.

But the defendant insisted she was not motivated by money – despite posting on Twitter she was earning “megabucks” as a locum.

She told the jury: “I worked as a locum doctor to maintain my clinical competence.

“It’s not a question of your skills being out of date, but it’s more of having the confidence to make quick decisions.

“I am not someone who is motivated by money. If I had been I would have done more shifts than I did. In fact, I would have done the locum work for free.”

Dawson – who has more than three decades worth of experience in medicine – stands accused of two counts of fraud by failing to disclose information.

These relate to two periods of sick leave between October 13 and 23, 2009, and November 9, 2009, to May 14, 2010.

Her first sickness leave occurred in October 2009 – after claiming she had a “very bad head”, but earned £520 from an eight-hour shift at Worcestershire Royal Hospital through an agency.

Despite returning to work, Dawson went on sick leave again in November citing depression and stress.

But, between March and May 2010, she worked a further nine shifts at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Hereford County Hospital, earning as much as £840 for a 12-hour shift.

Previously, the court heard Aneurin Bevan Health Board paid Dawson’s £29,320 sick pay for six months as well as about £36,000 for locums to fill her role.

The alleged deception was discovered after clinical director of A&E and former lover Mr Jenkins drew attention to Tweets written by Dawson.

Among them included: “I’ll do locum work, and earn twice as much”, “I’m doing a shift in England – megabucks” and “earning money is such a chore”.

Prosecutor Carl Harrison said officials at the English hospitals where Dawson had worked as a locum had no idea she was signed off and “would not employ staff who were unfit to work”.

But giving evidence, she described herself as having an “exemplary” record and had won several accolades since being promoted to an associate specialist in 2003.

Three years later she said she ended her relationship with Mr Jenkins – who was then her line manager. “It caused problems,” Dawson added.

She became the subject of an internal probe in 2007 amid claims she bullied one of her line managers – who went on to succeed Mr Jenkins.

She told the jury she was suspended for a period of 12 months – and had been given no help by her employees to maintain her clinical skills.

Dawson tried to revisit the matter in October 2009 when the Aneurin Health Board was formed – but bosses rejected her demand for an apology and compensation.

And on October 13, she undertook her first sick leave – which lasted 10 days.

Occupational therapist Dr Glyn Jones, the court heard, signed her off on the grounds of stress and depression – which would later result in her being prescribed the anti-depressant Citalopram.

In 2010, Dawson checkedwith health officials that she could go on holiday to India. They agreed, she said, because they were keen on “anything” to aid her recovery.

The case continues today.