A paramedic has been removed from duty after falsely claiming her sister was seriously ill as an excuse to take a day off work, only to be caught posting pictures of Christmas decorations on social media. Natalie Twomey informed her employers at the London Ambulance Service that she needed to be with her sister in Norfolk because her health had worsened, but evidence of festive decorations on her sister’s Facebook page contradicted her story.
The Health and Care Professions Tribunal concluded that Twomey had deceived her employer for personal gain by providing false information about her sister’s health. Despite claiming her sister was in intensive therapy, Twomey was found to have knowingly misled her workplace about her absence. Subsequently, she was removed from front-line duties for attending work under the influence of alcohol and failing to disclose restrictions on her practice when renewing her registration with the HCPC.
Further investigations revealed that Twomey had also provided inaccurate information about her injuries, working hours, and disciplinary history. Ultimately, she was dismissed from the ambulance service for poor performance and irregular attendance. Following a criminal conviction for driving over the legal alcohol limit, the tribunal deemed Twomey’s actions as misconduct and decided to strike her off the register.