Report or just keep quiet?

[MaskedandVisored]

Name change for this as potentially outing. But I am a regular mumsnetter

I work for the NHS. One of my colleagues has been off shielding. She delayed her return when shielding ended as she got signed off by her gp for being too anxious to work due to health risks and covid. She worked for maybe a week or two, before the second lockdown began and she’s chosen to return to shielding.

I would have no issue with any of this... except she’s been advertising her services on Facebook for doing cleaning work. So she’d be going into peoples homes and cleaning. It also says she’s happy to tie in the cleaning with some nannying work. And there’s no way you can look after children whilst social distancing. I just find it frustrating that she’s not coming to work because she’s supposed to be shielding, but she’s not shielding at all. She’s also been on various holidays in the UK.

Is this not fraud? If you’re off sick and continued to work elsewhere isn’t that normally illegal? Is this not the same for shielding leave?

I did mention it to my manager. She said she’d rather I didn’t tell her about it as she doesn’t want to deal with it.

To avoid any drip feeding, I work on an Amber ward. She isn’t in a role that she could do any working from home. Previously to this we’ve always got along well.

Would you take this further? If so, who to? Or would you just keep quiet?

Well it might all catch up with her, especially as she’s advertising!

www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/18191334.oxford-nhs-worker-accused-6-000-sick-pay-fraud/

www.nursingtimes.net/news/hospital/nurses-gets-prison-sentence-for-agency-work-while-claiming-sickness-18-07-2018/

There is a working while off sick bit on this fraud prevention link
cfa.nhs.uk/fraud-prevention/what-is-nhs-fraud

There will be a fraud team at your Trust. I would report. You can do so anonymously.

Was she offered an alternative role?

Maybe she feels less at risk cleaning X number of properties per week than seeing XXX patients per week. The risk levels are different, albeit she isn't shielding.

If she’s getting paid to shield then shield she should.

If she’s shielding she’s taking her full NHS wage and should not be doing any other work. Report to your fraud team. Also report your manager’s comments that they don’t want to have to deal with it via the whistleblowing policy.

Absolute CFery. I would definitely report.

I did mention it to my manager. She said she’d rather I didn’t tell her about it as she doesn’t want to deal with it.

Can I recommend Cillit Bang? It kills 99.99% of viruses.

Its fraud. Report it even if it means you have to go over your managers head

Thanks. Glad to hear the majority seem to agree that’s it’s pure CFery.

Is she shielding or is she signed off sick? If she is signed off sick then it depends on what her fit note says as it could say she is fit for other work but not fit to work at the hospital (e.g., if thats the source of her anxiety).

I just did my NHS mandatory training on fraud. Your trust should have a fraud team who would be very interested in this. Your manager is appalling. You would need to show evidence.

Screen shot and report to the fraud team.

As an aside, I'm not surprised your manager doesn't want to deal with this. It's a whole heap of complex work and they will get no support from higher up.

You reported to your manager and she didn’t want to deal with it? Says everything we need to know about public sector management.

@liveitwell

Was she offered an alternative role?

Maybe she feels less at risk cleaning X number of properties per week than seeing XXX patients per week. The risk levels are different, albeit she isn't shielding.

But if she doesn't want to do her NHS job and prefers to be self employed and set up her own business, she should resign - not defraud her employer and unfairly increase the burden on colleagues that remain working.

Report to your fraud team. (including your managers' comment)

Definitely report anonymously.

Hi OP, you haven't seen her Covid risk assessment and it might say that she scores high even to mean she needs to do a different role or be redeployed. Shielding hasn't been applied in the same way this time locally. Instead high scorers in the Covid RA should be sent to do different roles elsewhere including from home. She may be doing work given to her by another manager. She may be supporting HR or OD with audits etc.

Well, your manager sucks. Obviously, it will be a pain in the arse to deal with, but it is what she's paid to do. If she wants to get managerial pay, she has to do the managerial role.

Absolutely you should report - why should NHS resources pay for this CF to fiddle the system?