Children’s nurse struck off after faking terminal illness

A children’s nurse has been struck off after falsely claiming she had terminal leukaemia and receiving more than £185,000 in pension payments, a professional misconduct panel has found.

Amanda Reid convinced members of her family, children and healthcare professionals that she was seriously ill and “at the point of death”, despite knowing that she did not have the condition.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) committee heard that Reid took weight-loss medication and repeatedly shaved her head as part of an attempt to make her appearance consistent with someone undergoing cancer treatment.

The panel found that she had deliberately created and maintained a false account of having terminal leukaemia.

Reid’s actions led to her receiving £185,422.95 in pension payments, according to the findings.

The NMC committee concluded that her conduct was incompatible with continued registration as a nurse and ordered that she be struck off the professional register.