Nurse shaved head daily to fake cancer in brazen scam that paid for Dubai holiday

Nurse shaved head daily to fake cancer in brazen scam that paid for Dubai holiday Amanda Reid convinced her family, children and professionals that she was 'at the point of death' despite knowing she was not, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) committee has found A brazen children’s nurse has been struck off after making £185,422.95 in pension payments by shaving her head daily to pretend she had terminal leukaemia. Amanda Reid convinced her family, children and professionals that she was “at the point of death” despite knowing she was not, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) committee found. A total of 16 medical letters were forged to persuade her GP practice she was seriously ill, which included logos from the Spire Hospital Edinburgh. To look as if she was battling the blood cancer, she took weight loss medication and shaved her head daily. The former healthcare worker in Scotland, who claimed she has Munchausen’s syndrome, also fraudulently acquired controlled drugs from the NHS during her more than three-year offending period. She was jailed for two years at Livingston Sheriff Court for falsely claiming to the Scottish Pensions Authority that she was terminally ill with leukaemia and therefore entitled to specific payments, the tribunal said. In September 2025, she had pleaded guilty to defrauding the Scottish Pensions Authority of £185,442.95 between April 13 2021 to August 31 2024. Some of the funds were spent on a trip to Dubai, the panel added, quoting the judge’s sentencing remarks. Mrs Reid has claimed that she has Munchausen’s and that she was not motivated by financial gain. However, a social worker said they had been “unable to independently verify” the Munchausen’s diagnosis, in a report compiled ahead of the court sentencing. People living with the psychological condition pretend to be ill or produce symptoms of illness in themselves, according to the NHS website. Mrs Reid made no submissions to the proceedings in Scotland held online. Striking her off the NMC register, the panel, chaired by John Millar, found “no evidence of insight or remorse”. It said in its written judgement: “The panel considered that the dishonesty in this case was sustained, deliberate, premeditated, involving criminal fraud and financial gain. In addition, there was a pattern of dishonesty in relation to multiple health services, agencies and family members over a period of three years.” It added: “The panel noted that although it had no evidence that Mrs Reid had put patients at risk of harm, Mrs Reid’s conviction provided clear evidence of repeated dishonest behaviour over a prolonged period of three years. “The panel concluded that these behaviours raise significant concerns and indicate deep-seated attitudinal issues. “The panel determined that this type of dishonest conduct, should it be repeated in a clinical setting, could be liable to put patients at risk of harm in the future.”