A woman alleged to have falsified her nursing qualifications at a neonatal unit in Bridgend has also been accused of stealing money raised for the unit, Cardiff Crown Court was told.
According to the court, £860 was raised for the ward in September 2019 by a mother of a premature baby who participated in a half-marathon.
Tanya Nasir, 45, the neonatal ward manager, denies nine counts of fraud and fraud by false representation. She described the allegation of taking charity money as “awful.”
Nasir started working in the unit in September 2019 but was suspended in February 2020 due to concerns about her CV. She resigned in November 2020, two days before a scheduled disciplinary hearing.
Prosecutors claim Nasir, from Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, lied about her qualifications and experience to secure the band seven post at the hospital unit, which cares for ill and premature babies.
The court heard that Nasir claimed to have extensive experience working with premature babies and in adult intensive care. She also said she had served as a medic in the Army, with deployments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Kosovo, Haiti, Bosnia, Malawi, and Zambia, holding the ranks of major and colour sergeant.
However, checks with the Ministry of Defence found no evidence of her serving in the Army or Reserves. It was revealed she was an adult volunteer with the Army Cadets but had never seen active service.
Nasir was arrested by Dyfed-Powys Police at her home in Brecon in spring 2021 and questioned by NHS counter-fraud investigators.
On Monday, the court heard about a mother who ran a half-marathon and raised £860 for the unit, handing the money to Nasir in December 2019. Investigators Beverley Jones and Neil Jones testified that there was “no trace of the £860 ever being recorded.” Nasir described the allegation as “awful” and said she was “really upset by this.”
She stated that she met the mother in the unit’s reception area when the money was delivered. “I don’t think I even opened it,” she said. “The lady told me it was £800 and something.”
When investigators asked why she didn’t open the envelope and count the money, she replied: “I didn’t think it was appropriate to count money out in front of someone.”
The investigators countered that counting the money would have been the proper action. “You were in a position of trust. You accepted £860 in cash from a family who had undertaken a half-marathon,” they told her.
Nasir responded, “I didn’t steal the money,” but the investigators replied, “One of you has.” She described the situation as “awful, absolutely disgusting.”
The court was also informed that Nasir was addressed as “doctor” by teachers at her daughter’s school and in letters from credit companies. In a letter from 2010 authorizing out-of-school trips, she was addressed as Dr. Nasir. When asked about this, she said: “I am not claiming to be a doctor; it’s a courtesy because they knew I was a healthcare professional. I’m not a doctor, I’m a nurse.”
Police officers who searched her home in Brecon found several certificates, which NHS counter-fraud investigators believed were fakes. One certificate was for a master’s in leadership, purportedly from the “Royal British Army” and Reading University. She was informed it was a forgery, and the university had no record of her. She claimed, “I completed the online course, and that was the certificate I was sent.”
The search also revealed a presentation folder with certificates and documents supporting her application for the senior role in the neonatal unit at the Princess of Wales Hospital. Among these was a certificate from the “Royal British Army” stating she was required to attend training camps in Zambia and Malawi in 2019. The document described the late Queen as “the defender of faith.”
When questioned, Nasir admitted, “Yeah, no, some of that doesn’t make any sense.” Asked why it was in her application folder, she said: “I don’t even know what this is talking about.”
The trial continues.
