Woman claimed for shifts she didn’t work

A SENIOR healthcare assistant from the Royal Oldham Hospital pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud after claiming payment for shifts she did not work, lying on her application form and submitting a false reference.

Michelle Bayliss (41) claimed £200 last May for the bogus shifts and admitted that a reference supposedly supplied by her previous employer had been written by a friend.

Oldham magistrates gave her a 12-month community order, 240 hours of unpaid work and ordered her to pay £250 costs.

Bayliss, from Rochdale, has been convicted on several occasions of fraud-related offences between 1990 and 2000.

Before being dismissed on September 23, 2008, Bayliss received salary payments amounting to £10,833.64 during her employment at the Pennine Acute Trust.

Sue Smith, counter fraud officer for the trust, welcomed the court’s decision.

She said: “Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is absolutely committed to maintaining an honest, open and well-intentioned atmosphere within the trust. It is, therefore, also committed to the elimination of any fraud and to the rigorous investigation and punishment of any such cases.

“NHS staff who carry out fraud put their careers at risk for very limited potential financial gains.”

Anyone who suspects a fraud within the NHS should contact the NHS Fraud and Corruption Reporting Line on 0800 028 40 60.