A NURSE has been sacked and struck off after claiming more than £1,000 in taxi fares to ferry her to and from work over a seven month period.

Gemma Doe billed the NHS for 68 unauthorised journeys between April and December 2013 at £15 a ride while working at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Doe, who worked in the Endoscopy Unit, could be summoned to the hospital at any time of the day or night and could use taxis when on call.

But the nurse was not allowed to bill for cabs during her regular shift pattern, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) heard.

Her taxi scam came to light when her excessive usage of a minicab firm was flagged up with her manager when an administrator was settling the bill on November 2013.

Doe claimed she paid for the taxis herself and intended to produce the receipts but had lost them.

NMC panel chairwoman Jennifer Laing Doe's actions were flagrantly dishonest and fundamentally incompatible with her remaining on the register.

An internal investigation by the hospital found she had quoted the cost code and the relevant manager's name to authorise the booking every time she had ordered one.

Doe, who was not present or represented at the hearing, offered to pay back the £1,020 sum, but insisted she had already paid for all the taxis. She denied defrauding the hospital.

Striking her off the register, Ms Laing said: "For Miss Doe to persistently, over a period of over seven months, secure the use of taxis on the trust's account, when she knew she was not authorised to do so and did so dishonestly, was not only a flagrant disregard for the trust's policy but also amounts to serious misconduct.

"We considered that Miss Doe's offer to repay the money demonstrated a self-serving motive which, in our view, did not demonstrate insight but was an attempt by her to avoid further action by the trust.

"Miss Doe's dishonesty was persistent and she has shown a continuing lack of insight into its consequences which the panel finds to be indicative of a deep seated-attitudinal problem."

Gill Hunt, acting director of nursing, said: “At South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, we take any allegations of fraud extremely seriously.

“We can confirm that Gemma Doe was dismissed in 2014 and has not worked at the trust since.

“In this case we referred the matter to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) which has now concluded its hearing on the matter.”

Doe was given 28 days to appeal the panel's decision.