A nurse found to have taken money from a mental health patient under her care in England has been working in Queensland for four years despite concerns she could offend again.
Jean Chipo Mberi, 36, was struck off the UK nurse register in 2013 after the Nursing and Midwifery Council found she twice used a patient's bank card to withdraw money for her own use.
The total amount taken was only £170 ($290) but authorities noted a "real risk of repetition of the misconduct".
Ms Mberi has been registered in Queensland since 2012. She was understood to have been working in Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital mental health department for about three years and to have previously worked in Townsville.
A complaint to the Queensland Health ombudsman claimed management at the Pine Rivers Private Hospital, where she also worked, was advised earlier this week about the UK decision but staff were "threatened not to say anything".
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency moved to defuse any concerns about gaps in its screening process.
A Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital spokeswoman said no concerns had been raised about the nurse but would not answer questions about background checks, citing "privacy and confidentiality".
Ms Mberi did not return phone calls from Fairfax Media on Thursday or Friday.
In her response to the NMC, she claimed to have had the patient's consent to withdraw the money but the panel was satisfied Ms Mberi had admitted in a police interview to twice using the card improperly.
The NMC found her behaviour was unacceptable, saying her position as deputy ward manager "serves only to aggravate the matter".
It found she withdrew money for her own use twice and acted dishonestly when questioned about the whereabouts of the patient's bank card.
"The panel noted that this was not an isolated incident," the decision stated.
"Ms Mberi was in a position of trust and although her actions did not result in direct physical harm to patients it related to matters of removing money from the account of a patient without authorisation to do so.
"Ms Mberi appears not to have taken any opportunity to show remorse or insight into her behaviour."
The nurse had already left England when the first hearing was held and was living in Australia when the second hearing took place.
She did not attend either hearing, but submitted a response via email, which was not laid out in the published findings.
According to the NMC, Ms Mberi accepted a "community resolution" from police, which went on her local police record but wouldn't show on national police records.
In the wake of questions from Fairfax Media, Pine Rivers Private Hospital operator Healthscope warned employees not to speak to the media.
But a spokeswoman refused to comment on Ms Mberi's hiring or allegations of threats to staff.
"All Pine Rivers Private Hospital staff are bound by strict policies and procedures to ensure safety of patients, visitors and colleagues," she said, in a statement.
"Clinical staff must meet the appropriate registration standards."
Ms Mberi's registration to practise in Queensland came after the NMC began looking into the complaints and three weeks after her victim gave a statement to Northampton police but before her first council hearing.
AHPRA said it could not legally comment on individual cases, but was confident it was applying the appropriate regulatory checks under the national law.
"Health practitioners are required to declare all their Australian and international criminal history to the Board and this is assessed according to the Board's criminal history registration standard," a spokesman said, in a statement.
"When a health practitioner applies for registration in Australia, AHPRA conducts all Australian criminal history checks through the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and obtains a criminal history report on behalf of applicants before they are registered.
"International criminal history checks are also carried out."
He said AHPRA required a certificate of good standing from every previous jurisdiction and carefully reviewed responses and documents.
Ms Mberi was served with the NMC allegations on February 28, 2012, two weeks after the most recent offence.
By March 9, she was registered in Queensland and, on March 14, the UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council was suspended her for 18 months, pending an investigation.
On July 23, 2013, the NMC found it was necessary to deregister the nurse for "protection of the public".
Queensland Nurses Union secretary Beth Mohle also backed the regulator and the framework in place.
"At this stage we think that it is robust and transparent but we always have to be on the lookout for potential ways to improve as well," she said.
Ms Mberi's registration was varied on Friday afternoon imposing a condition she complete an education program in relation to professional ethics.
It cited a Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal reprimand on Thursday but the findings were yet to be published.