A former paramedic has been permanently barred from practising after a tribunal found she fabricated a serious family illness to secure time off over the festive period, with her lies unravelling thanks to social media.
The Festive Fabrication
In November 2022, Natalie Twomey told her employer she needed sick leave because her sister had been admitted to intensive care and had ‘deteriorated’. She claimed she was forced to drive to Norfolk to be at her sibling's bedside, intending to use the leave to spend Christmas with her.
However, her employer's suspicions were raised when they discovered her sister had recently posted pictures of her decorated home on Facebook. Ms Twomey had also shared a memory of a holiday in Mexico with her sister, captioned: ‘Eight days until this paradise again.’
When confronted, she alleged her brother-in-law had written the post. The tribunal, however, concluded she was fully aware her sister was in good health at the time.
A Pattern of Dishonest Conduct
This was not an isolated incident in Ms Twomey's professional conduct. On a separate occasion, she was removed from front-line duties after arriving at work smelling of alcohol.
She was dismissed from her role in November 2023. Subsequently, she failed to inform the Health & Care Professional Tribunal Service (HCPTS) that she had been restricted from practising when she tried to renew her registration. Instead, she falsely claimed she had stopped patient-facing work due to back and knee injuries.
Her misconduct extended beyond her professional life. In April 2024, she was banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel while drunk.
Struck Off for 'Deep-Seated' Dishonesty
A professional conduct review covering 2022 to 2024 found she had engaged in consistent dishonesty. The panel identified ten separate findings of dishonesty involving two employers and the regulator.
The tribunal report stated: ‘It was deliberate dishonesty, for personal gain, sustained over a period of time between 28 November 2022 and 20 March 2024.’ The panel emphasised that Ms Twomey’s behaviour was ‘long-standing and deep-seated’.
As a result, she has been struck off the register, ending her career as a paramedic.
