Psychologist claimed sick pay from NHS for her ‘bad back’

Denise Whitworth (pictured) claimed to have a bad back while she treated patients at a private clinic

A psychologist who claimed sick pay from the NHS for a bad back while running a private £80-an-hour clinic has been struck off.

Denise Whitworth, 51, moonlighted to £1,760 while receiving her full wage after telling bosses she was unable to work.

She charged £80 per one-hour session and treated patients on 22 different occasions, the court heard. 

Whitworth, from Port Talbot, South Wales, was convicted of fraud but a disciplinary panel gave her an indefinite ban, saying she had failed to remedy her ‘failings’.

The hearing in Cardiff was told Whitworth had also not voluntarily removed herself from being able to practice despite indicating she had now ‘retired’.

The Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service panel ruled it was in the public interest to give a striking off order.

Whitworth was sacked from her job with Cwm Taf University Health Board after being found guilty at Swansea Crown Court.

The court heard she had cashed in £1,760 for undertaking private work at the same time as she was claiming full sick leave. 

Nuhu Gobir, prosecuting, said: ‘While Mrs Whitworth was receiving her full wages she saw patients at a private clinic she ran in Cardiff for £80 per session.

‘In total she received £1,760 after seeing patients of 22 occasions. In a nutshell the defendant was on sick pay while at the same time working privately.’

Whitworth left work complaining about a back problem in October 2012 – the same day she had told a manager she was ‘unhappy’ with the distances she had to travel to meet patients.

Four months later a tip off to the NHS counter fraud specialist alerted them to a private consultations she was holding in a rented private consulting office.

Whitworth, 51, was sacked after being found guilty at Swansea Crown Court (pictured)

Whitworth claimed she was forced to undertake the extra work despite her back condition because she was under ‘severe financial strain’.

But she was ordered to repay the NHS £1,690.54 in compensation and was handed a 12 month community order.

Her conviction led to her being suspended from the Health and Care Professions Council Register for one year in February 2017, before her case was reviewed last week.

Whitworth did not attend or choose someone to represent her at the hearing in Cardiff.

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