Nurse had benefit fraud convictions, Cardiff trial hears

Ms Nasir claimed to have served in locations including Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, Kosovo and Sudan as an Army nurse.

She said she had worked in a field hospital in Afghanistan “500m from the front line”.

A statement from Maj Kevin Haresign was read to the court, confirming Ms Nasir had never been deployed overseas by British Armed Forces.

It said she was “never on our books”.

Ms Nasir began work as the ward manager in the unit for premature and seriously ill babies at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend in September 2019.

She was suspended in February 2020 after concerns were raised about her CV and the date of her qualification as a nurse.

During her interview for the post, she told the panel she would need time off each summer to attend Army training camps.

She also used the rank of captain and major, explaining these were courtesy titles which she said she had been told she could use.

Ms Nasir resigned two days before a disciplinary hearing in November 2020 and was arrested on suspicion of fraud in April 2021.

On Friday, her defence barrister Peter Hunter told the court: “Babies weren’t dying. She was performing her role.

“There is no evidence of negligence.”

He said she had a higher education diploma in adult nursing from Buckinghamshire New University in February 2014 and was a qualified nurse.

Earlier in the trial, the court heard concerns were raised about her qualification and registration date as a nurse by senior staff at the Princess of Wales Hospital.

Ms Nasir said she had qualified in 2010 but her registration code with the Nursing and Midwifery Council indicated she had qualified in 2013-14.

Those concerns led to an internal investigation and a criminal inquiry.

The court was told Ms Nasir claimed to have significant experience working in adult and child nursing, including intensive care and accident and emergency.

Mr Hunter said his client had been suspended from her role as the band seven ward manager the day after making a complaint about behaviour on the ward.

He asked NHS senior counter fraud investigator Neil Jones if he knew Ms Nasir had made an appointment under the hospital whistleblowing policy to discuss her concerns.

Mr Jones said he did not.