A group of Nigerian nurses facing scrutiny for alleged fraud at a testing center in the UK has been instructed to exit the country, despite their pending appeals, according to Nursing Times.
Correspondence from the Home Office, reviewed by the publication, directs certain nurses to depart as soon as next week after their visas were annulled due to claims from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The NMC has been criticized for the slow pace in managing hearings, with some nurses and advocacy groups alleging that the regulator is intentionally delaying proceedings to facilitate deportations.
Pastor Peters Omoragbon, executive president of Nurses Across The Borders, implied that the holdups were premeditated, stating, “The NMC might be accused of intentional delay so that these nurses could forfeit their rights of residency here in the UK.”
The NMC refutes any allegations of intentional delays, claiming it is striving to address cases as promptly as possible.
This situation arises from a 2023 investigation by the NMC into Yunnik Technologies Test Centre located in Ibadan, Nigeria, where inconsistencies in data suggested that some nurses may have unlawfully obtained their Computer-Based Test (CBT) outcomes.
The CBT is a critical element of the competency examination required for international nurses to register in the UK. The NMC asserted that approximately 48 registered nurses and 669 applicants probably received their results through illicit means, possibly employing proxy testers.
Following the inquiry, all impacted individuals were mandated to retake the CBT, while those suspected of fraud were required to furnish additional evidence. For those already registered, cases were referred to the NMC’s independent Investigating Committee (IC), while applications from new prospects were examined by an assistant registrar (AR).
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As of now, 10 nurses have been expelled from the register subsequent to IC hearings, whereas two were permitted to remain. Of the 200 applications evaluated by the AR, 191 were denied on grounds of character, while merely nine were accepted.
In February, a group of 50 nurses, represented by Broad Street Solicitors and supported by Nurses Across The Borders, sent the NMC a pre-action protocol letter, urging it to collaborate with the Home Office to halt deportations until appeals are resolved. They also requested a thorough reassessment of cases following one nurse, recognized as Nurse D, who successfully contested her removal. Nurse D contended that her extensive preparation and clinical experience enabled her to swiftly complete the CBT, convincing the panel to reverse the NMC’s ruling and reinstate her.
Nevertheless, the NMC has indicated that the outcomes in Nurse D’s situation do not modify the overall evidence of irregularities at the testing center. It maintains that all cases are evaluated on an individual basis, considering personal explanations and the statistical anomalies that sparked the inquiry.
Broad Street Solicitors has cautioned that should the NMC neglect to act within 14 days, it will initiate judicial review proceedings, seeking legal expenses from the regulator.
Meanwhile, the NMC has confirmed its outreach to the Home Office for additional information but has refrained from discussing ongoing legal concerns.
Lesley Maslen, the NMC’s executive director of professional regulation, acknowledged the anxiety caused by the investigation but underscored the necessity of ensuring that all registered nurses comply with professional standards.
“We recognize it’s in everyone’s best interests for hearings to be conducted as swiftly and safely as possible,” she stated, adding that the regulator is collaborating closely with all stakeholders to hasten the process.