A former care home deputy manager has been struck off the nursing register after a professional tribunal found that she exploited a vulnerable 99-year-old woman and used hundreds of thousands of pounds of her money for personal benefit.
Rebecca Louise Burwood, who worked at Bryn Yr Haul Care Home in Mold, North East Wales, was found to have engaged in a sustained course of misconduct involving the elderly resident between 2017 and 2023.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) concluded that Burwood had abused the trust placed in her by a woman who had become increasingly dependent on others after suffering a fall. The resident had no family members to support her and relied on Burwood for companionship and assistance.
The tribunal determined that the nurse had taken advantage of this dependence for her own financial gain and ruled that she should never practise as a nurse again.
Elderly Woman Persuaded to Transfer Her £400,000 Home
The case began when Burwood developed a close relationship with the woman, whom she reportedly called “nana”.
In 2018, Burwood persuaded the pensioner to transfer ownership of her home, which had been valued at approximately £400,000, to her and move into Bryn Yr Haul Care Home.
On May 5 that year, Burwood and a friend met with the woman’s solicitor and were granted Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). The tribunal heard that Burwood did not disclose this arrangement to the care home.
The proceedings later described the relationship as involving coercion and emotional blackmail, with the elderly woman allegedly being pressured into providing money to someone she trusted.
Although Burwood presented the resident as a grandmother figure in her life, the NMC found that this personal relationship did not justify the crossing of professional boundaries or the alleged misuse of the woman’s finances.
Hundreds of Thousands of Pounds Spent on Personal Expenses
The tribunal heard that approximately £370,000 was taken from the woman’s finances over five years, with the money allegedly used for a range of personal expenses.
These included cosmetic surgery, a car, a campervan and improvements to Burwood’s home. The resident was reportedly persuaded to contribute £20,000 towards the car and £9,000 towards the campervan, which Burwood said would enable the pair to take day trips together.
Burwood also claimed that an extension to her home was intended to allow the elderly woman to live with her if another pandemic lockdown occurred. However, the tribunal heard that the extension had been paid for before the first lockdown was announced.
Evidence presented during the hearing indicated that money had also been used for household improvements, utility bills and council tax. The case included allegations that some funds had been spent on cosmetic surgery.
The tribunal was also told that Burwood withdrew around £160,000 in cash from the pensioner’s bank account through cash machines between 2017 and 2023.
Nurse Claimed Cash Withdrawals Were for Charity Donations
Burwood defended the cash withdrawals by claiming that the elderly woman had asked her to take out money and donate it to charities each week.
According to her account, the donations generally ranged from £250 to £500 and were intended for organisations supporting blind people or those affected by heart conditions.
She said she either placed the money in charity collection boxes while out with the resident or handed it directly to staff at local charity shops.
Burwood also claimed that the pensioner did not want money left behind when she died because she did not want the government to receive it.
However, the tribunal heard that Burwood had kept no records showing how much cash she withdrew or how much was donated on the resident’s behalf.
The lack of documentation formed part of the wider concerns about how the pensioner’s money had been managed and whether her wishes had genuinely been followed.
Bank Raises Alarm After Account Is Frozen
The situation escalated in March 2023, when the pensioner’s bank referred the matter to North Wales Police. The bank subsequently froze her account.
Burwood then took the woman to the branch in an attempt to have access to the account restored. Bank staff reportedly heard Burwood threatening to stop taking the resident out of the care home if she could not access her money.
The attempt to unfreeze the account was unsuccessful.
Further concerns emerged on April 28, 2023, when another nurse overheard Burwood telling the elderly woman, “I will give you the money back,” alongside instructions about where to sign.
The conversation was reported as a possible indication of financial abuse, prompting a decision that Burwood’s visits to the resident should be supervised.
Burwood disputed the interpretation of the exchange, claiming she had been helping the woman sign a condolence card for the family of a mutual friend. She said the resident had poor eyesight and that she had been showing her where to sign.
Pensioner Declined to Pursue a Complaint
Safeguarding officials visited the woman on May 10, 2023, to discuss the concerns raised about the conversation.
During the visit, the resident reportedly said she did not want to take action against Burwood because she believed the younger woman had learned from her mistakes and valued their friendship.
North Wales Police had investigated the matter but ultimately took no further action after the pensioner declined to make a complaint.
The decision not to pursue a police complaint did not prevent professional regulators from examining Burwood’s conduct. On June 9, 2023, Flintshire County Council referred the case to the NMC.
The nursing regulator subsequently considered the evidence as part of its own disciplinary proceedings.
Tribunal Says Nurse Weaponised Resident’s Trust
In its findings, the NMC panel described the elderly woman as vulnerable, lonely and increasingly dependent on others after losing her independence following a fall.
The panel concluded that Burwood had engaged in a sustained and calculated course of conduct between 2017 and 2023 to benefit financially from the resident.
It found that the nurse had used the woman’s trust and need for social contact against her, including by making access to outings dependent on Burwood being given access to the pensioner’s money.
The regulator said the behaviour involved manipulation and coercion and fell seriously below the standards expected of a registered nurse.
Burwood’s explanation that she regarded the resident as her “nana” was considered in the context of the relationship, but the panel determined that the conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct.
After considering the evidence and the seriousness of the findings, the tribunal imposed a striking-off order, removing Burwood from the nursing register.
Elderly Woman Left With Limited Funds for Future Care
The woman has since died. The tribunal heard that after the financial losses, she had enough money remaining to cover only 23 months of care before the local council would have needed to intervene.
The case has highlighted the risks faced by older people who depend on care workers for daily assistance, companionship and financial support, particularly when they have no close relatives to monitor their affairs.
The NMC’s decision means Burwood can no longer practise as a registered nurse following the tribunal’s findings.
The Daily Mail reported that it had contacted Burwood for comment.
