Some Nigerian nurses in the U.K are being investigated for their alleged involvement in a widespread qualifications fraud.
It’s been reported that over 700 nurses are entangled in this potential scandal, raising concerns from a former head of the Royal College of Nursing who warned of potential risks to NHS patients.
The scheme reportedly includes proxies posing as nurses and completing a critical exam in Nigeria, a requirement for registration and employment in the UK.
Peter Carter, the ex-chief executive of the RCN and ex-chair of three NHS trusts who described it as an “industrial-scale fraud” said;
“It’s very, very worrying if … there’s an organisation that’s involving themselves in fraudulent activity, enabling nurses to bypass these tests, or if they are using surrogates to do exams for them because the implication is that we end up in the UK with nurses who aren’t competent.”
He praised the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for taking action against those involved “to protect the quality of care and patient safety and the reputation of nurses”.
Carter emphasized the necessity for proper qualifications for nurses working in the UK, given their crucial responsibilities in administering medication, managing intravenous infusions, and responding to emergencies like cardiac arrests.
