Welsh nurse struck off for stealing £750,000 from 99-year-old patient

The key facts

The NMC struck off nurse Rebecca Louise Burwood for misappropriating £750,000 from a 99-year-old resident of a care home in Mold, Flintshire.
Between 2017 and 2023 she became the attorney, withdrew more than £370,000 from the account and obtained the victim's £400,000 house.
The victim died; only enough money remained in her account for 23 months of care, after which the council would have had to step in.

Struck off the register

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) found that Rebecca Louise Burwood's fitness to practise was impaired by reason of serious misconduct and ruled that she be struck off the nursing register. Burwood worked as deputy manager of the Bryn Yr Haul care home in Mold (Flintshire) and, according to the panel's findings, between 2017 and 2023 abused the trust of a 99-year-old resident for personal and financial gain.

How the funds were misappropriated

According to the hearing, Burwood had a long-standing relationship with the woman even before she moved into the home in 2018. The pensioner had no relatives, was vulnerable after a fall and depended on Burwood for companionship. Burwood obtained a lasting power of attorney over her finances while simultaneously controlling her care. Over five years, more than £370,000 left the victim's account, including £160,000 in large cash withdrawals at ATMs. She also took the woman to a notary and secured the transfer of her £400,000 house to herself. According to the panel, the money went on home renovations, utility bills and council tax; there were claims that part of the money was spent on cosmetic surgery. Burwood persuaded the pensioner to pay for a £20,000 car and a £9,000 motorhome, supposedly for trips together. She claimed the renovations were needed so the woman could live with her in the event of a new Covid outbreak, but the work was paid for before lockdowns were introduced in the UK.

Burwood's explanations

Burwood told the tribunal that the woman herself asked her to withdraw cash and donate between £250 and £500 weekly to charity — supposedly organisations helping blind people and people with heart conditions. Her barrister Victoria Rees said the pensioner had supposedly said she did not want to leave her money to the state after her death, and that Burwood kept no record of the withdrawals and donations. Burwood also claimed she saw the woman as 'her nana' and expressed 'deep regret' over her actions.

The bank and signature episode

The pensioner's bank referred the matter to North Wales Police over suspicions about the spending; the account was frozen. According to bank staff, Burwood behaved 'almost like a blackmailer', seeking to have the account unfrozen and bringing the woman into the branch. The panel found that Burwood told the woman she would not be able to take her on outings without access to the money. Another nurse reported hearing Burwood tell the victim: 'I'll pay you back' and 'sign here', and judged this to be financial abuse — after which Burwood's visits took place only under supervision. Burwood claimed she had asked her to sign a sympathy card, not a document, and held the card because of the woman's poor eyesight. Police investigated the incident, but the victim did not want further action, describing Burwood as a friend and believing she had 'learned from her mistakes'.

Panel findings and reaction

The panel described Burwood's behaviour as 'a sustained, calculated course of action', noted that she had 'weaponised' the victim's trust against her, acted dishonestly by failing to disclose the power of attorney to her employer, and that her actions were 'morally culpable', deliberate and undermined trust in the profession. The victim has died; at the time of her death only enough funds remained in her account for 23 months of care, after which the costs would have had to be covered by the council. Bryn Yr Haul operations director James Bradford said the team was 'deeply saddened by the incident', apologised to everyone affected, supported the NMC's decision and said that management had changed since the events and that policies and procedures for safeguarding residents had been reviewed.