A nurse who fraudulently claimed nearly £20,000 by adding shifts she did not work has been struck off the nursing register. Faith Chareka, who worked in the emergency department at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, was convicted of fraud by abuse of position.
According to a report by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise committee, Chareka added 50 shifts to rosters between November 2020 and February 2023. Most of these were paid at enhanced rates for night shifts, bank holidays, and weekends. In total, she received £19,575.41 and gained 540 hours of time off in lieu (TOIL) for which she did not work.
During sentencing, the judge noted that Chareka had engaged in repeated and premeditated dishonesty over two years. She pleaded guilty in 2024 and received an 18-month suspended sentence, along with a rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work. The trust dismissed her in 2023 after an investigation.
Rosie Welsh, case presenter for the NMC, said the offending was committed against a publicly funded NHS body already under financial pressure. She added that Chareka placed patients at potential risk by exposing the emergency department to understaffing, delays, and reduced support for colleagues.
Alexandra Monaghan, representing Chareka, argued that her client had shown genuine remorse and insight into the seriousness of her conduct. However, the panel concluded that a striking-off order was the only sanction capable of maintaining public confidence in the profession. An interim suspension order was imposed for 18 months to cover any appeal period.
