A group of more than 100 Nigerian nurses have called on the health secretary to help them correct “a significant injustice” after the nursing regulator accused them of cheating in tests to practise in the UK.
The nurses said their lives were destroyed when the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) accused them of fraud, having concluded that the computer-based tests in numeracy and clinical practice were completed implausibly quickly.
The NMC said last May that widespread fraud had been identified at the Yunnik Technologies test centre in Ibadan, Nigeria, which was overseen by the NMC’s test provider, Pearson Vue.
The nurses claim that many retook the tests in the UK and completed them in similar times. They said they had no need to cheat as the tests were simple, and they called on the NMC to provide forensic evidence that they had cheated.
In a letter to Wes Streeting, the nurses say: “We are concerned that although there are irregularities with the test centre, the action taken by the Nursing and Midwifery Council means an unjust collective punishment of all of us. This means that many of us have lost our jobs, our livelihoods and our reputations.”
Since being accused of cheating, many of the nurses have been banned from practising and have had to take lower-paid jobs as care workers. “I face bullying, insults, shame, disgrace in my office and ward,” said one. “My career has been on hold for more than 13 months, even after passing the new test. People treat me as a fraud and without respect. It has been hell on earth.”
The times recorded raised suspicions because they were among the fastest the nursing regulator had ever seen. Nurses told the Guardian they had learned to complete online tests quickly because in Nigeria there were often internet outages and they could lose their answers.
In order to practise in the UK, nurses must have completed a degree in nursing at a recognised university, complete an English test, provide character references and do a clinical examination.
Five of the seven nurses who spoke to the Guardian claim they were not told by the NMC that they were suspected to have cheated until after they arrived in the UK to take up job offers as nurses. Some had taken out loans to fund their relocation to the UK and others had sold their homes in Nigeria.
Three nurses interviewed by the Guardian had sold their homes to cover relocation costs to the UK. Five had moved to the UK with their partners who had given up jobs in Nigeria to move.
According to NMC data shared with the Guardian, almost 2,000 cases involving Nigerian nurses have been or are being looked at.
Many of those removed from the register are appealing against the decision. There is no statutory timeframe for appeals and many of the nurses say they lodged an appeal months ago and are still waiting to hear when it will be resolved.
In a document sent to one of the nurses, the NMC said: “Whilst I note that you completed the new test in a relatively quick time, I’m still not satisfied this explains how you could have achieved the pass in your original test in such a short time.”
When asked by the Guardian whether they had identified any proxies alleged to have sat the tests on behalf of the nurses, NMC sources said it was not their role to do this but that they had notified the relevant authorities in the UK and Nigeria.
Nazek Ramadan, the director of Migrant Voice, which is supporting the nurses, said: “The nurses affected by this injustice who we have spoken to have jumped through every hoop the Nursing and Midwifery Council has set for them, yet are still being treated as criminals.
“Having resat the tests in the UK, the nurses have doubly demonstrated their ability to meet the requirements which the NMC expects from those on the nursing register. Yet their personal character still continues to be called into question. This situation is having a dire impact on the mental and physical health of many nurses affected. They came to the UK to help people and instead have faced demonisation and discrimination.”
Sam Foster, the executive nurse director of professional practice at the NMC, said: “We know this is a distressing experience for the people involved, and we’re concerned by several accounts that some may have been pressurised into using a proxy tester at Yunnik.
“Some applicants have been open and honest about what happened and have been admitted to the register. We’re trying to support individuals, and we know there’s more we can do, including clearer information and further wellbeing support … At the same time, it’s important we fully investigate each case and reach decisions in the best interests of the profession and people receiving care. The integrity of the register is of paramount importance.”
A spokesperson for Pearson Vue said: “To prevent inadvertently giving helpful information to potential bad actors, we refrain from sharing details on how alleged cheating occurs in specific situations. Following the initial identification of unusual and concerning testing patterns at the test centre, we carried out a preliminary investigation, prompting action to suspend and ultimately de-authorise the test centre.”