Peterborough nurse struck off after claiming pay and travel expenses for course - while she stayed at home

Charlotte Nykoluk was a nurse working for Peterborough and Stamford NHS Foundation Trust in 2014/2015, when she was signed up to take part in an ultrasound course at Hertfordshire University.

Ms Nykoluk took paid study leave from the Trust - which runs Peterborough City Hospital - and even claimed travel expenses to travel to take part.

However, she did not attend sessions, and ‘was actually at home’.

Now she has been struck off following a disciplinary hearing by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

A report into the hearing said: “The panel determined that, in this case, Ms Nykoluk had misused public money, had allowed her colleagues to be put under extra pressure when she was supposed to be on her course and concealed her behaviour from the Trust over a long period of time. This conduct was dishonest and unacceptable.”

The report said there was a ‘sustained period of dishonesty’ and she ‘abused her position of trust.’

It said: “The dishonesty related to personal gain in terms of false mileage claims and time for which she was paid to be on the course, but was actually at home.”

The panel also found Ms Nykoluk’s fitness to practise was ‘impaired.’

However, the report said: “No concerns have been raised regarding Ms Nykoluk’s clinical practice or of any harm to patients as a result of her misconduct; Ms Nykoluk struggled with elements of the course she had undertaken and had made some effort to raise this informally with managers and Ms Nykoluk has a previously unblemished record for more than ten years.”

The report said: “The panel decided that it was necessary to take action to prevent Ms Nykoluk from practising in the future and concluded that the only sanction that would adequately protect the public and serve the public interest was a striking-off order.

“The panel was mindful of the fact that a striking-off order meant that Ms Nykoluk could not apply for restoration to the register until a period of 5 years had lapsed, but it considered the misconduct, her non-engagement, and her consistent lack of insight meant it was proportionate to strike her off in these circumstances.”