Have you received a letter from the NMC in relation to issues with your CBT test?
If you’re a UNISON member, speak to your local UNISON rep at your local Branch.
You will be asked to complete a streamlined case form, and your UNISON rep will assist you with this. The case form will assist us in ensuring that you qualify for representation, and that we have the required information to assist you.
Once this form has been completed, you will be referred to the Professional Services Unit (PSU), who will triage your case and assign you a representative.
I’m not sure if I am a member. What should I do?
If you’re not sure you’re a member of UNISON and qualify for our support, please either contact UNISON Direct on 0800 0857 857 or speak directly to your local UNISON branch via the UNISON branch finder.
If you can’t access the support of UNISON, please contact the Nigerian Nurse’s Association for support.
What should I tell my employer?
At this stage you should discuss the letter from the NMC with your local UNISON branch as a priority, and they can offer you advice on this issue.
You may then wish to advise your employers about the NMC’s letter, but it is important to stress that, at this stage, there is no evidence that your PIN has been fraudulently procured and that, unless you are advised differently, you are still able to continue to practise as a nurse or midwife.
What is the Professional Services Unit?
The PSU are a dedicated team within UNISON that assist members with fitness to practise concerns with their regulators.
You will be assigned a representative from the PSU that will act on your behalf and liaise with the NMC about the concerns that have been raised in relation to your entry on the Register.
What will happen following receipt of this letter?
As you are in receipt of a letter from your regulator, the NMC, confirming that they are looking into concerns about your entry onto the Register, it is likely you will be subject to an investigation by the NMC as to whether your entry onto the Register was fraudulently or incorrectly made.
At this stage, the NMC have not concluded that your entry has either been fraudulently procured or incorrectly made.
However, as concerns have been raised surrounding the test centre, Ibadan Centre in Nigeria, where you took your computer-based test, there are concerns that your test may have been fraudulently undertaken, and as such, this is being investigated by the NMC.
Should you speak directly with the NMC?
Yes, you can speak directly with the NMC if you have any queries in relation to the content of the letter you have received or have any questions about how your investigation currently impacts upon your ability to practise as a nurse. You can provide them with your employment and contact details as requested.
However, we would advise that you do not provide a response to the NMC about the allegations that are being investigated or give any indication to the NMC that you either accept or deny the allegations. The NMC’s investigation is still at a very early stage, and no decision has been made yet as to whether your registration has been fraudulently procured or incorrectly made.
Until such time as the NMC have concluded that your Registration is impacted, and there is a possibility that you acquired your PIN fraudulently or incorrectly, it is not advisable to respond to the NMC directly in relation to the concerns raised.
Invitation to take a new CBT
Within the letter from the NMC, they have invited you to re-sit your CBT test with a voucher that they will provide you.
At this stage, please don’t confirm either way with the NMC that you will be taking another CBT test.
At this stage, the NMC have not concluded that your entry on the Register has been fraudulently procured and they are yet to start their investigation into your entry on the Register.
We also don’t know at this stage what will happen to the Registrants that choose to take another CBT test, and what would happen if the test were passed or failed.