A nurse faces being struck off after she admitted pocketing sick pay from The Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust while working in St John’s Wood.
Rachel Makombe initially claimed she had a twin sister in a bid to cover her tracks when she was recognised while moonlighting at the Wellington Hospital whilst being paid by her employers.
Today at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing Louise Hartley, for the NMC, said: “On the February 26 last year Makombe attended work and reported to her ward manager that she had been vomiting that morning.
“On February 27 she was seen working as an agency nurse at the Wellington Hospital by Leonard Byrne, the chief nursing officer there.”
A day later Makombe and Mr Byrne crossed paths at the hospital again.
“He asked her where he knew her from and whether it was from Bart’s or the Royal Free,” Ms Hartley said.
“The registrant told him that she had never worked at either of those trusts but that she had a twin sister who worked at the Royal Free.”
Mr Byrne later confronted Makombe and she admitted that she did not in fact have a twin sister and that she was working while on sick leave from the Royal Free.
Ms Hartley said: “She was struggling to make ends meet and had done this to make some extra money.
“She admitted that what she had done was wrong and that there was a risk of infection to patients.”
Makombe said she was given an instruction not to return to work for 72 hours after she was last symptomatic of the illness.
Makombe, who is present at the hearing, admits the charges against her.
The hearing continues.
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