Swansea nurse on trial accused of putting patient safety at risk by working two jobs

A NURSE has gone on trial accused of working two full-time jobs – which it is alleged put patient safety at risk.

Diane Davies, 55, denies failing to disclose a second job in that she worked as an agency nurse at Trostre Steelworks while employed by the then Swansea NHS Trust.

It is alleged the offence continued when the trust became Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Trust.

Davies has pleaded not guilty to a charge of obtaining pecuniary advantage between December 1998 and June 2010 by failing to disclose she had secondary employment.

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Prosecuting barrister Kristian Jowett told the jury at Swansea Crown Court that the prosecution allege Davies worked in Morriston Hospital from 1994 until 2011 but in January 1998 she also began working for Acorn Recruitment as an agency nurse at Trostre steelworks, Llanelli.

The court heard that between the two jobs, she had been working 19 hours a day, four days a week.

Davies had worked for Acorn Recruitment as an agency nurse, working four night shifts a week from 10pm to 7am.

Mr Jowett said at the same time Davies had also been working day shifts from 8.15am until 5pm from Monday to Thursday and a 8.15am to 1.30pm shift each Friday.

During the 12 years of working for Acorn, she was paid between £8,471 and £28,238 each year, the jury were told, in addition to her salary from the NHS Trust.

The court heard her contract at Morriston Hospital was for a minimum of 37-and-a-half hours, and during her employment by Acorn, she worked between 40 and 45 hours a week.

Mr Jowett said Davies, of Golwg-y-Coed, Birchgrove, had failed to disclose this second job to the NHS board as her contract required.

"There were two reasons why she was obliged to disclose her secondary employment. Firstly, to ensure safe practice in nursing at the hospital and secondly to avoid any conflict of interest," said Mr Jowett.

He said Davies must have known she was required to declare her second job because it was specifically mentioned in both her contract of employment and policy documents which were issued to staff by the board.

Mr Jowett said that from 2003, when Davies began working as a junior sister, it was part of her role to make sure other staff were aware of such policy documents.

"If she declared it, there would have been an investigation and in all probability she wouldn't have been allowed to continue working for both employers," said Mr Jowett.

He said when she was interviewed in June 2010, Davies admitted working for both employers but she said it was known by managers within Morriston Hospital that she had a second job.

She also said she had never hidden the fact she was working for a second employer.

Davies denies ever putting patient safety at risk, the jury were told.

The jury were told Davies resigned from her role in the NHS on December 27, 2011.The trial continues.