Keralite nurse in UK who paid Rs30 Lakhs to obtain OET certificate in Kottayam under investigation

By Balakrishnan Balagopal

LONDON March 29: Mariamma Jacob (name changed) was filled with excitement as she came across numerous online advertisements claiming that migration to the UK was a simple and straightforward process. Despite her repeated attempts to pass the IELTS and OET tests, success eluded her. With her employment contract in the Gulf nearing its end, Mariamma made the decision to return to her home state of Kerala and pursue her dream of relocating to Europe. Upon her arrival in Kerala, Mariamma began exploring her options for migration.

Speaking exclusively to www.ukmalayalee.com, she said: “While in Kerala I saw an advert in a newspaper about nursing recruitment which also said about assisting applicants to secure OET to secure job in UK. I rang this agent Amal (name changed). He asked us to go and meet him at his office in Kottayam.

“At the office in Kottayam he sold the idea of obtaining the OET certificate for cash. Amal created his own email to start the process with OET. Therefore, all email correspondence with OET was done by the agent. He told us that he will do all the communication and that I didnt have to worry about anything. He asked us to pay him cash in installments at each step towards obtaining the OET test results.

“I gave him a total of Rs30 lakhs to obtain this certificate and nothing was shared with us but we were given the electronic confirmation number for us to process the NMC application”.

Throughout the process, Mariamma had no direct email correspondence with OET, as Amal took charge of all the necessary arrangements. Reassuringly, Amal informed Mariamma that she didn’t need to worry about anything, as he would handle all aspects of the process on her behalf.

Now, in light of the recent revelations, Mariamma and her family are utterly shocked and overwhelmed with desperation. The family had invested their entire life savings and even took out loans against their property to cover the costs of obtaining the OET certificate and relocating to the UK with their children.

As the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) continues its investigation into the matter, Mariamma and her family face an uncertain future. The gravity of the situation weighs heavily on them, as their dreams of establishing a new life in the UK hang in the balance.

The outcome of the NMC’s inquiry will ultimately determine whether Mariamma can retain her nursing registration and continue her career in the UK. In the meantime, the family must grapple with the emotional and financial strain brought on by this ordeal, all while trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy in their day-to-day lives.

What is OET Certificate

The Occupational English Test (OET) is an international English language test designed specifically for healthcare professionals who seek to register and practice in an English-speaking environment. It assesses the language proficiency of individuals in various healthcare fields, such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, veterinary medicine, and more. The OET is widely recognized by regulatory healthcare boards and councils in countries like Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, and Singapore.

What is Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the regulatory body for nursing and midwifery professions in the UK. Its primary role is to maintain a register of qualified nurses, midwives, and nursing associates who meet the required standards for education, training, conduct, and performance.

Removed from Clinical Duties

Mariamma Jacob is employed by one of the hospitals under the NHS Trust in the UK and now has been removed from clinical duties following a notification from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The NMC informed her that her Occupational English Test (OET) results were disqualified due to alleged malpractice. Consequently, she is now under investigation by the NMC.

Unconfirmed reports say that the NMC has contacted approximately 147 other Indian nurses employed at various NHS hospitals following OET identifying fraud in the test results. The list has now been passed to NMC who in turn started an investigation and also informing the respective employers of these nurses.

According to letter seen by this website, these nurses have been informed that their Occupational English Test (OET) results, which were submitted for NMC registration, have been disqualified due to alleged malpractice. Notably, these nurses have been working within the NHS trust for more than a year now, having obtained their NMC Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) after completing the registration process.

The NMC has identified individuals whose names appear on this list of those alleged to have submitted fraudulent OET certificates and provided them with a two-week window to explain any discrepancies related to their test results.

By reaching out to these candidates and their employers, the NMC aims to gather important information and clarify any misunderstandings that may have occurred during the testing process. It says that through this process NMC will be able to assess the situation more accurately and make informed decisions regarding the registration status of the nurses involved.

Letter from NMC

The NMC letter seen by this reporter which was sent to this nurse with a NHS Trust states that the NMC is now carrying out an investigation to decide whether the concerns raised may amount to an allegation that her entry on the NMC’s register was fraudulently procured or incorrectly made. If the initial enquiry or investigation finds that the entry on the NMC register was fraudulent procured or incorrectly made then it will be referred to a panel of the Investigating committee. She is now asked to provide proofs to the NMC that she meets the NMC’s language requirements.

NMC is also urging these nurses to either complete another English language test or provide them with alternative evidence that shows how they meet the English language standards set by the NMC. This is seen as a welcome move as the experience they have secured in the last one year may go in their favour. However, it will become difficult if these nurses were found or involved in breaches during the period of their work within the Trust.

Letter from employer

Following the NMC writing to the nurse’s employer she received a letter from her NHS Trust saying: “As you are aware you were recently written to by the NMC regarding information relating to your OET test results undertaken at a test venue in Chandigarh, India, specifically that your test results have been disqualified due to alleged malpractice at that venue. They informed you that they we are now carrying out an investigation to decide whether the concerns raised may amount to an allegation that your entry on the NMC’s register was fraudulently procured or incorrectly made.

“We were also informed of this matter by NHS Employers in relation to our employees who undertook tests in Chandigarh, India and an immediate internal investigation commenced in addition to co-operation with the OET and NMC. We have also been informed that the OET made steps to notify all impacted candidates who had taken tests in Chandigarh, India.

“As a consequence of this matter and as a precautionary step to allow the Trust to further investigate and understand the implications of this investigation and any longer term impact on your role I am writing to confirm that you have been temporarily restricted from undertaking any clinical activity with immediate effect and re-assigned to non-clinical work. A risk assessment relating to your ongoing practice will be undertaken as soon as possible, the purpose of which will be to ensure that patient safety is protected and the implications of the investigation understood in relation to your ongoing clinical activities. Whilst you are undertaking these restricted duties and in line with the Trust Exclusion & Restriction of practice policy to enable the Trust to investigate this matter further your pay and conditions of employment will remain unchanged”.

Next steps

Her employer has asked her follow the steps as a way forward.

In line with the OET guidance she need to confirm to her employer that either she has already lodged an appeal of OET’s decision in accordance with OET’s appeals policy and did so by the deadline or she has made contact with OET to enquire how she might appeal if her deadline has passed.

If she has appealed in time she need to confirm if she made an appointment to re-book her OET test and if so, the date and time of that test. According to the NMC, another chance was being given considering the possibility that the candidates might have fallen prey to a scam carried out by the training centres.

She is also asked to complete a first hand account of the background relating to the circumstances of how she booked and undertook her OET at the test centre in Chandigarh, India. This account should include but not be limited to how she found the centre (was it recommended to her? did she already know about it, did she find it online?), how she went about booking the test, what communications she received from the test centre (any e-mails, phone calls), when and where she attended, what she was required to complete, any monies she was required to pay, anything else she think relevant to her OET that she think would be useful. This information is also requested by the NMC.

The investigation will reveal crucial details about the Occupational English Test (OET) and the unscrupulous agents involved in fraudulent practices. With the information gathered, both the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and OET will have a clearer understanding of how these tests were manipulated and the specific agents responsible for these unethical actions.

Help from RCN

Whether you work for the NHS or an independent health and social care employer, or if you are an agency worker, self-employed or student member, you can get help and guidance here Click to visit the Help Page of RCN.

Time to root out unscrupulous agents in Kerala and UK

This situation highlights the urgent need to eliminate the operations of dishonest Kerala agents who exploit healthcare workers by making false promises and engaging in deceptive practices.

Stricter measures must be implemented in both Kerala and the UK to identify and prosecute these agents, ensuring that healthcare workers are protected from exploitation and the integrity of the OET certification process is upheld. By taking firm action against such agents, the NMC and OET can maintain the trust of healthcare professionals and uphold the high standards of the industry.

Our investigation into this matter remains ongoing, and we appreciate the cooperation of our community in uncovering any fraudulent activities. If you possess any information that may shed light on such misconduct, please share it with us via email at editor@ukmalayalee.com.

Your input is invaluable in ensuring that we can effectively address these issues and uphold the integrity of the system for everyone involved. Together, we can contribute to a more transparent and ethical environment within our community.