Several Nigerian nurses under investigation for alleged fraud at a United Kingdom (UK) test center have been ordered to leave the country, despite their pending appeals, according to Nursing Times.
Letters from the UK Home Office, seen by the publication, instruct some of the affected nurses to leave as early as next week after their visas were revoked due to allegations raised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The NMC has faced criticism over delays in handling the cases, with some nurses and advocacy groups accusing the regulator of deliberately stalling proceedings to facilitate deportations.
Pastor Peters Omoragbon, executive president of Nurses Across The Borders, suggested the delays were intentional, saying, “The NMC could be accused of deliberate delay so that these nurses could lose their rights of abode here in the UK.”
The NMC, however, denies any deliberate delay, insisting it is working to resolve cases as quickly as possible.
The controversy stems from a 2023 NMC investigation into Yunnik Technologies Test Centre in Ibadan, Nigeria, where irregularities in data suggested some nurses may have obtained their Computer-Based Test (CBT) results fraudulently.
The CBT is a crucial part of the UK’s registration process for international nurses. The NMC initially identified 48 registered nurses and 669 applicants who were suspected of obtaining their results through fraudulent means, potentially with proxy testers.
As a result, all affected individuals were required to retake the CBT, while those suspected of fraud had to provide further evidence. Cases involving nurses already on the UK register were referred to the NMC’s Investigating Committee (IC), while new applicants faced reviews by an assistant registrar (AR). So far, 10 nurses have been removed from the register following IC hearings, while only two were allowed to remain. Of the 200 applications reviewed by the AR, 191 were refused on character grounds, and only nine were accepted.
In February, 50 nurses—represented by Broad Street Solicitors and backed by Nurses Across The Borders—served the NMC with a pre-action protocol letter, urging it to liaise with the Home Office to prevent deportations before appeals were concluded. The legal team also demanded a full reconsideration of cases after one nurse, identified as Nurse D, successfully appealed her removal. She argued that her extensive preparation and clinical experience enabled her to complete the CBT quickly, leading the panel to overturn the NMC’s decision and reinstate her.
Despite this, the NMC maintains that Nurse D’s case does not invalidate broader concerns about irregularities at the test center. It insists that all cases are reviewed individually, considering both personal explanations and the statistical anomalies that triggered the investigation.
Broad Street Solicitors has warned that if the NMC does not act within 14 days, it will initiate judicial review proceedings and seek legal costs from the regulator. Meanwhile, the NMC has confirmed that it has contacted the Home Office for further information but declined to comment on ongoing legal matters.
Lesley Maslen, the NMC’s executive director of professional regulation, acknowledged the distress caused by the investigation but emphasized the need to uphold professional standards. “We know it’s in everyone’s best interests for hearings to be held as swiftly and safely as possible,” she said, adding that the regulator is working closely with all parties to expedite the process.
