**Nurse Who Deceived Her Way Into Senior Hospital Role Banned from the Profession**
A woman who fraudulently posed as a senior nurse at a Welsh hospital, placing the lives of vulnerable babies at risk, has now been permanently removed from the nursing register. Tanya Nasir, aged 45, secured employment at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend using fraudulent documentation and false information, despite lacking the necessary qualifications to care for newborns in the unit.
The gravity of Nasir’s misconduct has been underscored by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which described her actions as having “put vulnerable patients at a real risk of significant harm, which could have had catastrophic consequences.” The striking-off order follows an earlier custodial sentence, with Nasir having been imprisoned for five years after being found guilty on nine charges including fraud and the unauthorised use of computer material.
Nasir’s deception was perpetrated over several years and across multiple healthcare settings. Following a lengthy trial at Cardiff Crown Court last summer, it was revealed that she had repeatedly submitted doctored credentials and forged paperwork to land nursing positions for which she was unqualified. Upon application for the demanding role of ward manager—a Band 7 position—Nasir relied on false documents and, when her deceit came to light, attempted further cover-ups.
An NHS Local Counter-Fraud Authority investigation found that Nasir’s web of lies began as early as 2010, during her studies at Buckinghamshire New University. At the time, she failed to disclose a criminal conviction, violating the university’s strict fitness-to-practise rules. She then went as far as to craft a fictitious letter purporting to be from the Hertfordshire Probation Service, misleading university officials into allowing her to continue her studies. This marked the start of an elaborate pattern of dishonesty that persisted for over a decade.
Between 2013 and 2015, Nasir occupied posts at various hospitals, including Hillingdon Hospital in London and Spire Bushey Hospital in Watford, before eventually returning to Hillingdon. Upon her subsequent appointment in Bridgend, discrepancies in her employment records and registered qualifications sparked further checks, revealing the extent of her fraudulent activity. It was determined that in total, Nasir had earned in excess of £200,000 in wages from her illicitly obtained positions, with nearly £95,000 coming from the Princess of Wales Hospital alone.
During the latest NMC professional standards hearing—at which Nasir neither attended nor submitted representation—it was highlighted that she showed no remorse or insight into the harm she had caused. NMC representative Naa-Adjeley Barnor emphasised the enduring nature of Nasir’s dishonesty, warning that her actions revealed “deep-seated and harmful attitudinal concerns which are not easily remediable.” The NMC panel agreed, branding her conduct a significant breach of the standards expected within the nursing profession.
In written findings, the committee noted that Nasir’s behaviour was not only calculated and elaborate, but also deprived another, more deserving and qualified individual the opportunity to serve in the important neonatal role. The panel concluded that there was a substantial risk she could repeat her behaviour, observing her actions were indicative of deep attitudinal issues unlikely to be resolved.
The striking-off order follows Nasir’s criminal convictions, which included fraud, making and possessing false documents, and unauthorised computer access. However, under NMC rules, the ban will not formally take effect until the conclusion of a mandatory 28-day appeals window. In the meantime, an interim suspension order is in place, with the substantive order poised to come into force once the appeal period ends.
The case raises questions about the robustness of checks within NHS recruitment processes and highlights the need for ongoing vigilance and integrity in healthcare roles. The NMC reiterated that upholding professional standards is crucial to maintaining public trust and, ultimately, the safety of patients—particularly those in vulnerable settings such as neonatal care.