Sheffield therapist who had sex in patient's house struck off for fraud

Hazel Bryce, 39, had an affair with a fellow NHS worker when employed by the Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust, a trbunal heard.

In 2015, the pair used a patient’s home for sex and continued the fling later in her home, where a man burst into the room and took compromising nude photographs.

These were sent to the NHS worker’s wife, and a Health and Care Professions Council gave Bryce a three-year caution in 2018 for her behaviour.

But in 2019, she was convicted of fraud after working for the Department for Work and Pensions while suspended on full pay by the Trust.

Now she has been struck off following a tribunal by the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service.

The tribunal said: "Registrant's conviction is for a serious matter and concerns dishonest conduct.

"The public have to be able to trust healthcare professionals, including Occupational Therapists."

The occupational therapist, 38, of Dodd Street, Hillsborough, was paid more than £17,000 by the NHS trust, as well as over £10,000 by her new employer the Department for Work and Pensions, during her suspension. The DWP brought the prosecution against her in 2019.

Before appearing at Sheffield Crown Court last year, Bryce had already been handed a three-year caution for misconduct by the Health and Care Professions Council.

She was convicted of fraud following a trial and was sentenced to a 12-month community order, a 10-day rehabilitation order and 80 hours’ unpaid work for her actions.

Speaking after the sentencing, Kevan Taylor, chief executive of Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Following trial, a former employee has been found guilty of fraud and we welcome the sentence.

“We treat fraud very seriously and work closely with our local counter-fraud specialist to thoroughly investigate any allegations we receive. I can confirm the individual is no longer employed by the trust.”

Now Bryce, of Sheffield, has been struck off by the HCPTS by a tribunal after showing “no remorse for her actions”.