A hospital worker who faked having leukaemia for more than four years has spoken of her regret.

Laura Tyreman has already been sacked as a radiographer at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary after an investigation by hospital chiefs.

Now a disciplinary hearing of the Health and Care Professions Tribunals Service (HCPTS), has suspended her from working in healthcare for one year.

Tyreman claimed she had been diagnosed with leukaemia in 2010, having begun employment at HRI in August 2006.

Huddersfield Royal Infirmary
Huddersfield Royal Infirmary

She put “cancer” as a reason for being on sick leave on at least a dozen occasions between January 2011 and March 2011 and again in October 2014.

Between 2012 and August 2015 she told a colleague she was having treatment for leukaemia, including bone biopsies and chemotherapy.

During the same period she told the same co-worker that she needed time off work because of infection of a cannulation site, inserted for a bone marrow biopsy.

But in April 2015 when the hospital tightened up its absence recording processes she withdrew her consent for her medical records to be seen.

In August that year she was summoned to a meeting to discuss her health.

But three days before the showdown she admitted the leukaemia claim had been a lie.

But it was another full year before hospital bosses found out the whole truth – and the reason for this has not been explained.

Writing on her own Facebook page, she said: “I will always be extremely sorry for the way this all turned out and I do believe my actions deserved the loss of my job, although at the time I desperately hoped that my actions would at least be somewhat understood.

“This is a bitter and desperately sad waste for me of a good career and a good life.

“There is not a moment of any day that I don’t regret what happened or wish it was different.

“I’ve lost so much as a result of this, some was just deserved, and some not so.

“I can honestly say people thought I was good at what I did.

“Though my actions were dishonest, they never put anybody or any patient at risk – the only person I damaged was me in terms of my own reputation and my self respect.”

In her evidence to HCPTS she said she began the cancer lie because she was fearful of disclosing her true health condition to her manager.

The nature of her condition has not been revealed in public.

The panel agreed her conduct was dishonest but gave her a lifeline to resume her career.

She avoided a five-year “striking off order” ban and could return to working in healthcare if she proves she is safe to do so.