Imposter nurse may have been cross-dressing man

The bogus nurse who stalked hospital wards in Christchurch and made off with a health board car may have been a cross-dresser.

Police were today continuing to search for the imposter.

Information from the public suggested the nurse may not have been a woman as assumed, but a man dressed as a woman, a police spokesman said this morning.

The bogus nurse masqueraded as a registered nurse and Maori health worker after obtaining a Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) photo ID.

National's health spokesman Tony Ryall is calling for an urgent inquiry into the incident.

"There needs to be an independent investigation quite urgently into the security arrangements at the Canterbury hospitals," he said.

"It is incredibly serious that an imposter can get a security-cleared ID card to be a nurse to roam free through the hospital and have the opportunity to provide treatment and care of patients," he said.

It is understood the "nurse" spent time on wards at Princess Margaret and Christchurch hospitals, and possibly Hillmorton Hospital, and on occasion took board cars out for drives before eventually taking a late-model Hyundai Tucson four-wheel-drive and not returning.

The board refused to comment on the case.

Nursing Council chief executive Marion Clark said she was very concerned, as impersonating a nurse was "highly dangerous".

However, it was not known whether the imposter had provided any patient care.

Ms Clark said even if bogus nurse had not, there had still been a breach of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act.

Police appealed to members of the public who may have seen the silver Hyundai Tucson 4WD, to call them.

- NZPA