Lian Kenny has been suspended from nursing for six months
06:30, 01 May 2026Updated 06:32, 01 May 2026
Lian Kenny took almost £6,000 in sick pay despite working for another NHS trust
A Merseyside nurse who pocketed almost £6,000 in sick pay from an NHS trust while fraudulently working elsewhere claims she made a “harmless mistake.” For more than a year, Lian Kenny received sick pay from North West Care NHS Foundation Trust, which later merged with Mersey Care.
However, between August 2020 and October 2021, Mrs Kelly was also working for Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust while supposedly unfit to do so. A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing was told how Mrs Kelly, who registered in September 2015 – was subject to an investigation in September 2021.
She fully admitted to the charge put to her by the NMC in a hearing held in her absence. In a reflective statement, Mrs Kenny said she “deeply” regretted her “lapse in judgement.”
Mrs Kenny worked at the Trust from December 11 2018 until October 31 2021 as a community nurse team leader. According to a report following the meeting’s conclusion earlier this month, Maria Tyson, head of nursing at Mersey Care made a referral to the NMC in November 2021.
The referral set out how while working for Mersey Care, Mrs Kenny was employed by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – now part of NHS North Cheshire and Mersey – via an agency. It was alleged in September 2021, a member of staff reported that Mrs Kenny had worked at Bridgewater while also signed off on paid sick leave.
An anti-fraud investigation was subsequently carried out by Mersey Internal Audit Agency (MIAA) which found Mrs Kenny had received sick pay from the Trust in the sum of £5,993.51. No criminal action was recommended by MIAA on the basis that the overpayment was relatively low and could be repaid.
It was agreed between Mrs Kenny and the NMC that in receiving the sick pay while signed off but continuing to work as a registered nurse for a different trust, she had acted dishonestly for personal financial gain. The parties agree that such conduct falls far below the standards expected of a registered nurse.
Mrs Kenny fully repaid the funds to Mersey Care and undertook reflection and demonstrated insight into her failings and remorse. In a statement submitted to the NMC, she said: “I deeply regret my lapse in judgement.
“It has been one of the most challenging periods of my professional life, but it has also been one of the most defining in terms of growth. I want to assure the NMC that I do not see myself as a nurse who made a harmless mistake.
“I see myself as a nurse who failed to show courage when it mattered and who has worked deliberately to ensure that failure is not repeated. My integrity now feels more conscious, more deliberate, and more resilient than before.
“I have learned that professionalism is not about perfection; it is about accountability. I respectfully ask the panel to consider not only the mistake I made, but the person I have become as a result of confronting it.
“I remain committed to upholding the standards of the NMC Code not simply because they are required, but because they reflect the nurse I intend to be.”
Mrs Kelly is now employed solely with Alamaz Limited as clinical lead for their vaccination service. Parties agreed that the risk of repetition of the misconduct found in this case is minimal.
As a result, she was suspended from nursing with immediate effort for six months. She will be permitted to return to practise on October 27.