More than 700 frontline NHS staff are currently under investigation for their involvement in an alleged “industrial-scale” qualifications fraud, potentially jeopardising patient safety and the credibility of healthcare services in the UK.
The scam, uncovered by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), implicates nurses who utilised proxies to impersonate them and take a crucial test in Nigeria, required for their registration to work in the UK.
Peter Carter, the former head of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), expressed deep concern, labelling it an “industrial-scale fraud” that could lead to the presence of incompetent nurses within the NHS.
Carter commended the NMC for its swift action against those involved, emphasising the importance of maintaining the quality of care and patient safety. Nurses entering the UK must possess proper qualifications, given the critical nature of their roles in healthcare.
Individual hearings will take place
Currently, 48 nurses are already employed in the NHS, and the NMC is unable to rescind their admission to the register. These nurses are directed to retake the test to prove their competency, but suspension is not possible until individual hearings begin in March.
A second batch of 669 health staff, mainly nurses, is also implicated, with their test results found to be obtained through fraudulent means. Most of them are believed to be working as healthcare assistants in the NHS and care homes. The NMC, recognising character concerns, has banned the majority of them from joining its register.
Andrea Sutcliffe, the NMC’s chief executive and registrar, revealed that Pearson VUE, a third-party test centre contracted by the Yunnik test centre, uncovered “widespread fraudulent activity” last year, marking the largest-ever fraud case encountered by the NMC.
NMC declared results invalid
The NMC declared the test results of 1,955 Nigerian-trained health professionals invalid, prompting them to resit the test or face expulsion from the register. Hearings for the 48 already on the register will determine whether fraudulent entry occurred, potentially leading to removal.
The fate of the 717 nurses involved in the scandal remains uncertain. The GMB union expresses concerns that those refused entry to the NMC register may be sent back to Nigeria, emphasising the need for their skills to address the UK-wide nursing shortage.
The NMC has discontinued the use of 40 of the 800 test centers worldwide, including the Yunnik center, and is taking rigorous measures to ensure the integrity of its register and safeguard patient safety.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the NMC’s fraud investigations and affirmed their support for steps taken to preserve the register’s integrity and protect patient safety.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
