Rebecca Louise Burwood, a former deputy manager at Bryn Yr Haul Care Home in Mold, Flintshire, has been struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). A disciplinary panel determined that Burwood abused her position of trust to exploit a vulnerable 99-year-old resident, siphoning approximately £750,000 from the woman between 2017 and 2023. The NMC hearing was told Burwood had a longstanding relationship with the woman before she moved into the home in 2018. It determined her behaviour fell far below the standards expected of a registered nurse.
The hearing revealed that Burwood coerced the pensioner, who had no family and was heavily dependent on the nurse for social connection following a fall. Burwood eventually gained lasting power of attorney over the resident’s affairs while simultaneously overseeing her clinical care, a conflict of interest she failed to disclose to her employer.
Financial evidence presented to the tribunal showed that over £370,000 was drained from the victim’s bank account within a five-year window, including £160,000 withdrawn in large cash sums from ATMs. Beyond direct cash theft, Burwood coerced the resident into transferring ownership of her £400,000 home. Funds were also used to purchase a car for £20,000 and a campervan for £9,000, as well as to cover Burwood’s personal utility bills, home renovations, and council tax. Allegations were also raised that stolen funds were utilized for personal cosmetic surgery. According to she convinced the resident to pay £20,000 for a car and £9,000 for a campervan, which she, Was purchased so the pair could go on days outs. Showed her where she should sign and stopped her from signing over the printed words in the card, she claimed the resident’s eyesight was “very poor” so she had held the card for her.
Burwood defended her actions by claiming the resident wished to deplete her assets to avoid government involvement in her care. She further argued that cash withdrawals were used for weekly charity donations or outings. Regarding the property transfer, she claimed home improvements were intended to accommodate the resident during potential Covid lockdowns, despite the work being completed prior to any such restrictions. Which were between £250 and £500 each time, would usually go towards charities that supported the blind or those with heart issues, she claimed the donations. According to burwood, She would either put the cash in charity pots while she was out and about, or hand donations directly to staff in local charity shops. According to her legal representative Victoria Rees, The resident had told her “she didn’t want anything to be left by the time she died, as she didn’t want the government to have her money”, adding Burwood “didn’t keep any records of the amount of money she withdrew or the amount of money she donated”. But had only been left with enough money to pay for 23 months of care before the council would have had to step in, the victim has since died.
Internal tensions rose when bank staff became suspicious of the frequent, large withdrawals. When the bank froze the resident’s account, Burwood attempted to force staff to lift the restrictions, an act observers described as akin to blackmail. On another occasion, a colleague overheard Burwood pressuring the resident to sign documents by promising to return money, later claiming she was only assisting the woman with a condolence card.
Although North Wales Police investigated the matter, the victim initially declined to pursue criminal charges, viewing Burwood as a friend and believing she had corrected her behavior. However, the NMC panel concluded that Burwood engaged in a premeditated, morally reprehensible campaign of manipulation. By the time of the investigation, the resident had been left with insufficient funds to cover even two years of her own nursing care.
The NMC found that Burwood’s conduct caused significant emotional and financial harm, breaching core professional standards. In her defense, Burwood expressed deep regret, stating she had come to see the victim “as her nana,” a justification the panel rejected as a failure to maintain professional boundaries.
James Bradford, operations director at Bryn Yr Haul, expressed the team’s profound sadness regarding the abuse. He confirmed that the facility has since overhauled its management and safeguarding procedures to protect residents, offering sincere apologies to all parties impacted by the breach. The welfare and safeguarding of our residents remain our absolute priority,” he said. Since these events, there have been changes in management, and our safeguarding policies and procedures have been reviewed to ensure the continued safety and wellbeing of everyone in our care, we fully support the NMC’s decision and.
The panel’s decision to strike Burwood from the register serves to protect the public and maintain confidence in the nursing profession. The tribunal emphasized that the imbalance of power was exploited throughout the victim’s final years, with Burwood having effectively “weaponised” her position of trust.
