Paramedic who lied about sister’s illness to get day off exposed by Facebook

An emergency worker has been struck off after telling bosses her sister was in intensive care to get time off during the festive period.

Natalie Twomey lied to work that she had been forced to drive to Norfolk where her sister had ‘deteriorated’ in hospital.

She claimed in November 2022 that her sibling had been admitted to the ICU, to take sick leave so she could go and be with her over Christmas.

However, her employer began to doubt her story after finding her sister had just uploaded pictures of her decorated home on Facebook.

Ms Twomey had also shared a post remembering a trip taken to Mexico with her sister, with the caption: ‘Eight days until this paradise again.’

She later claimed her brother-in-law had written the post, but was found to be fully aware her sister was not in poor health.

On another occasion, Ms Twomey was pulled from front-line work after turning up to her job smelling of alcohol.

She was dismissed from her role in November 2023, and failed to tell the Health & Care Professional Tribunal Service she had been restricted from practising while trying to renew her registration.

The former paramedic falsely claimed she had stopped undertaking patient duties because of back and knee injuries.

She was further banned from driving in April 2024, after being caught behind the wheel while drunk.

A review of her professional conduct found she had consistently lied between 2022 and 2024.

A report concluded: ‘It was deliberate dishonesty, for personal gain, sustained over a period of time between 28 November 2022 and 20 March 2024, and involved ten individual findings of dishonesty, involving two employers and the regulator.

The panel added that Ms Twomey’s dishonest behaviour was ‘long-standing and deep-seated’.

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