UK: Zim nurse took £15,000 loans from dementia client; tried to cash £10k forged cheque

By Health and Social Affairs Correspondent

UK: A ZIMBABWE born nurse was recently struck of the register for misconduct and dishonesty after taking loans totalling £15,000 from a client diagnosed with dementia and, further, trying to cash a £10,000 cheque in their name.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s fitness to practice committee heard that Manchester-based Tendai Sandra Mukanganise, at the time a student nurse, was working as a care assistant when she took loans from her employer.

The committee heard that the carer accepted a loan of £5,000 in May 2021, and took another one for £10,000 in July of the same year.

The following month, Mukanganise would try to cash a £10,000 cheque where the signature of her employer was later found to have been forged.

“You admitted charges … which related to the acceptance of loans from Person A (employer) on or around 17 May 2021 and 22 July 2021,” the committee noted.

“Person A was the relative of Person B for whom you were caring. Person B lacked capacity and required 24-hour care.

“Person A could be considered vulnerable owing to their full-time caring responsibilities for their terminally ill relative in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In September 2021, Person A was formally diagnosed with dementia.”

Mukunganise was referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council by the son of her employer who became concerned about the “financial abuse of” his father.

Regarding the loans, the committee told Mukunganise; “Your evidence was that your second loan of £10,000 was given to enable you to purchase a car to help with your travel to and from work.

“However, you made it clear in your evidence that you did not consider you were under any obligation to purchase a car and that you could use the money as you saw fit.

“The panel considered that accepting loans from a close relative of a person for whom you were caring – in circumstances where the person giving the loans was vulnerable – showed a lack of integrity on your part.

“This was further demonstrated by the fact the second loan was given for a particular reason which you clearly had no intention of honouring.”

Mukanganise admitted presenting the third cheque to the bank but denied forging her employer’s signature.

“ …the panel was mindful that you were closely cross examined and had a clear opportunity to give an explanation as to the circumstances of the third cheque and how it came into your possession and was, as admitted by you, presented by you to your bank,” reads the hearing’s determination.

“The panel considered your responses to be vague and evasive. It concluded that you did not give a truthful or transparent explanation of the circumstances in which you alleged you received a third cheque from Person A (employer) for £10,000 dated 26 July 2021.

“ … the panel concluded that … on the balance of probabilities, you presented a cheque for £10,000 purporting to be signed by Person A which you knew had not been signed by Person A.”

The council said the dishonesty and misconduct in respect of all three charges impaired Mukanganise’s fitness to continue practicing as a nurse.

“The panel was particularly concerned that you provided no explanation of the circumstances in which you received the third cheque and presented it to your bank,” reads the ruling.

“The panel also considered that the nature of the breaches, including the proven dishonesty and the breach of trust involving a vulnerable person, were so serious as to be fundamentally incompatible with you remaining on the Register.”

The committee added, “The panel bore in mind that your explanations of the circumstances in which you received the third cheque were vague and evasive, and it concluded that your response was not truthful or transparent.

“Given this, and the fact that the proven charges for the reasons stated above are so serious, the panel determined that your misconduct raises fundamental questions about your professionalism.

“The panel concluded that your actions were significant departures from the standards expected of a registered nurse, and are fundamentally incompatible with you remaining on the Register.”