Nurse lied on Wigan hospital job application

Obianujunwa Ekwueme falsely gave a reference and did not declare previous career roles in an application to Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust (WWL).

She went for the job in November 2015 and after being found out, had her offer of employment from the trust withdrawn in January 2016.

A panel of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) found Ekwueme had failed to disclose she was the secretary of the company Divinecall Care Limited, which she had cited as her current employer.

It also said Ekwueme had not disclosed about her husband being the director of the company, and she had stated a referee was her line manager when he was not.

As well as this, Ekwueme was found to have approached a former colleague at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, where she had previously worked as a Band 6 occupational health sister.

That colleague had provided an unfavourable reference and Ekwueme became “verbally aggressive” towards her when she refused to withdraw her concerns.

Ekwueme attempted to persuade WWL the colleague had given a more favourable explanation of what she had stated in her reference when she had not done so, the hearing was told.

And she was also sanctioned after inconsistencies were raised on her application form for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, for whom she began working in September 2016 as an occupational health sister.

But in December 2016 the NMC received a referral from the hospital trust, after concerns were raised over her occupational health consultations and a subsequent review of her application form.

A report considered by the NMC reads: “An investigation commenced, looking into both the information which you provided and omitted on your application forms for Blackpool Hospitals, NHS Professionals, an employment agency for NHS staff and WWL.

“You were offered a post at WWL in January 2016. That offer was withdrawn after WWL received an unfavourable reference from Colleague B, the Head of Occupational Health at Salford Royal NHS Foundation.

“In her written reference, Colleague B said she would not employ you again.

“It is alleged that in your application to Blackpool, you did not include that you had worked at Salford Royal.”

The report alleged Ekwueme had failed to mention she had been employed at North Manchester Hospital in 2016, where it was claimed she received three complaints regarding her practice.

Following this, the NMC have issued Ekwueme with an order, which means she will have conditions on her practice for a year.

They said: “The effect of this order is that your name on the NMC register will show that you are subject to a conditions of practice order and anyone who enquires about your registration will be informed of this order.”

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