Horse woman ‘in NHS scam’

AN NHS manager fiddled months of sick pay while riding her horse in equestrian events, a court heard.

Elise David, 33, claimed she suffered too much back pain to work but was allegedly out showjumping.

David is accused of claiming four months’ worth of sick pay from the National Health Service by failing to reveal her back pain had cleared.

Nigel Fryer, prosecuting, told how she did not turn up for work at the NHS laboratory after falling off a horse in 2016.

He said: “David was off work for the next four months but at that time she was taking part in dressage, cross country and showjumping competitions.”

David contacted the Surgical Materials Testing Laboratory in Bridgend, south Wales, where she worked as quality manager to say she had “injured her back and was struggling to walk”.

But Newport Crown Court was told colleague Jess Bodman, an IT analyst at the NHS labs, discovered her name on the British Eventing website three months after she left.

Mr Fryer said it displayed results for 2016 at the time she was off sick.

He told the court: “There is evidence she had taken part in four equestrian events while she was on sick leave.”

The jury heard Miss Bodman reported her findings to laboratory technical manager Dr Gavin Hughes.

It was then referred to a counter-fraud team.

David, of Nottage, Porthcawl, denies fraud.

The trial continues.