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Paramedic lied to get day off but was snapped putting up Christmas decorations

Natalie Twomey told bosses she could not come work because her sister's health had "deteriorated" but staff soon uncovered photos that blew her cover shortly afterwards

[An individual in a blue shirt with white trim and a logo is smiling in a kitchen setting. Behind them, there is a window with a view of an outdoor area and a white cabinet. A glass bowl with food and a coffee machine are visible in the foreground.]

Natalie Twomey had lied to bosses about her sister's to go home and put up Christmas decorations(Image: Supplied)

A paramedic has been struck off the register after lying about her sister being seriously unwell to secure a day off. This was then exposed by the sister herself, who shared snaps of her sibling hanging Christmas decorations up.

Natalie Twomey contacted bosses claiming she couldn't turn up for her shift because her sister's condition had "deteriorated". She explained that because of the situation, she would need to take an urgent trip to Norfolk to provide support, a professional tribunal was told.

However, colleagues at the London Ambulance Service (LAS) discovered photographs on her sibling's Facebook page of Natalie helping to put up Christmas decorations with her sister, which the panel determined were "inconsistent" with Natalie's account of her being gravely ill. In their written ruling, the Health and Care Professions Tribunal concluded that Ms Twomey had fabricated the story to "mislead" her employer, describing this "deceit" as being motivated by personal advantage.

[Woman at home decorating Christmas tree]

Natalie Twomey was busted when her sibling showed her hanging up Christmas decorations on her tree (stock)(Image: ArtMarie via Getty Images)

The panel heard that Ms Twomey dispatched an email to her managers on November 28, 2022 stating: "I've had to phone in sick, my sister has deteriorated again and had to drive back to Norfolk to be with her," according to the Mirror. The hearing revealed that the London Ambulance Service (LAS) stumbled upon a post on Ms Twomey's sister's Facebook page, which showcased a house festively adorned for Christmas just six days later on November 28.

When questioned about these posts during an aptitude meeting in April 2023, the paramedic claimed her sister was in an Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU), and her brother-in-law was responsible for the posts on his wife's Facebook account. The panel concluded that Ms Twomey was aware her sister wasn't ill on November 28 and accused her of "deliberately providing misleading information to her employer to excuse her absence from work".

They determined that "The message conveyed by the photographs of Christmas decorations was inconsistent with the registrant's sister being sick to the extent that the registrant had to drive to Norfolk to be with her, rather than attend to her responsibilities at work." In June 2023, the paramedic was taken off front-line duties after turning up to work smelling of alcohol.

[An individual, dressed in a uniform, is standing next to a yellow London Ambulance vehicle, posing for a photograph.]

She was eventually struck off due to a slew of other issues she ran into whilst working for the service(Image: Supplied)

However, it emerged that while renewing her registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulator, she failed to disclose that restrictions had been imposed on her. Ms Twomey also emailed the LAS's recruitment department to discuss a secondment, falsely claiming that her non-patient facing duties were due to a back and knee injury.

She further provided incorrect information regarding her working hours in 2023. In 2023, she was dismissed due to her "capability and failure to attend work regularly".

During a subsequent job interview, she falsely claimed that she had never been subject to any disciplinary hearings or dismissals. She also denied any ongoing investigations against her, despite being aware of an active HCPC investigation into her fitness to practise.

[Ipswich, Suffolk, UK - January 2023: Ipswich Crown Court at night in Suffolk, UK]

She was also convicted of a driving offence at Ipswich Magistrates' Court in April of 2024(Image: Rob Atherton via Getty Images)

While performing her duties as a paramedic at a police investigation centre in April 2024, a police officer detected the smell of alcohol on her breath, leading to a required breath test. Having arrived at the site by car, Ms Twomey was arrested and cautioned. She was convicted of a driving offence at Ipswich Magistrates' Court in April 2024 after pleading guilty to driving a motor vehicle over the prescribed limit.

The panel deemed Ms Twomey's conduct as "sufficiently serious to amount to misconduct", resulting in her name being removed from the register. "The panel concluded that the appropriate and proportionate sanction in this case was a Striking Off Order," they stated.

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