'Appalling' error let doctors specialise for two years despite failing exams

An “appalling” mistake has meant doctors have been able to practise specialised medicine despite failing their exams.

The error affects the Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians (MRCP) written exam taken on September 6, 2023.

Out of 1,451 candidates, 283 were given the wrong result – 61 candidates who were told they had failed actually passed, and 222 candidates who were told they had passed had actually failed.

In Scotland, 13 individuals have been identified and contacted so far.

The error relates to a postgraduate diploma in internal medicine and is described as “essential” for all physicians who train in a medical speciality.

An apology was issued by the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK, who run the examination.

Dr Mike Jones, executive medical director of the Federation, said: “On behalf of the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK, we deeply and unreservedly apologise for this situation.

“We appreciate how distressing the candidates affected will find this, and for some it will create an additional burden to the hard and vital work they do.”

Scotland’s health secretary Neil Gray confirmed that the Government was aware of 13 individuals in Scotland whom the Federation of the Royal College of Physicians had contacted.

He added: “I met with representatives of the General Medical Council (GMC) and Royal Colleges to discuss the UK-wide issue surrounding the membership of the Royal College of Physicians Examination.

“My officials, along with those in the GMC and NHS Education Scotland, are working to support those individuals impacted while ensuring professional standards and assurance are upheld. I also offered our support when speaking to the BMA.”

He said that he remained confident there had been “minimal risk” to patient safety, as resident doctors would be supervised at this stage in their training and not solely assessed on their exam results.

Professor Colin Melville, medical director and director of education and standards at the GMC, said the council had been made aware of the error affecting a “significant number of UK and international candidates”.

“We know this will be a concerning and disappointing time,” he said.

“Some of the candidates will have discovered they, in fact, failed the test, while others passed when they were informed they had failed.

“The Federation informed us promptly once they had discovered the error. We are seeking assurance that our standards are being met and there are no concerns about patient safety.

“We are working closely with the federation to understand what happened, how they will support those affected, and what actions they will take to ensure this does not happen again.”

British Medical Association (BMA) chair Professor Philip Banfield said: “Failing an exam is devastating and has consequences for doctors as they work their way up the ladder of expertise; being told you have failed when in fact you have passed, is even worse.

“The ramifications of this appalling situation are far-reaching for doctors and patients. All doctors should have confidence in an exam result – they are central to their careers and to the skills they bring to medicine.

“There must be an immediate independent investigation into this, including how routine audit processes have taken so long to identify this error.”

Prof Banfield said that the BMA was in contract with the Royal College of Physicians and was exploring options with their legal team for support, compensation and recompense.