Tanya Nasir ‘fake’ nurse qualifications checked by NHS, jury told

The court heard when Ms Nasir was interviewed for the post at the hospital, she told the panel about her military career.

Ms Townsend said she recalled Ms Nasir asking if the hospital would allow her to take each August off for training with the Territorial Army.

Ms Townsend said Ms Nasir told the panel she had served in Iraq in 2008 and had been “shot at” in Afghanistan.

On Tuesday the court was told Ms Nasir had joined the Army Cadet Force in November 2013 and had been discharged and struck off in May 2016. She left with the rank of sergeant instructor.

The jury was told she had never been deployed in active conflict or combat.

Ms Nasir also said she had worked in Canada and Dubai but “the Ministry of Defence had advised her not to put that on her CV”.

Ms Townsend said the investigation and Ms Nasir’s suspension in February 2020 had a huge impact on the neonatal staff, coming at the start of the Covid pandemic.

“It was a testing time, nobody knew what the pandemic was going to bring. Staff were going off sick and we were a ward manager down.

“We were short of staff. They were upset because they had no knowledge of what she was suspected of. We weren’t at liberty to mention it.

“Morale on the unit was very low,” she said.

She said the experience had also had a “profound effect” on her personally.

“I have been working for 42 years as a registered nurse and I am proud of my profession, but this made me question people’s integrity.

“I was part of the team and personally I felt let down.”

The trial continues.