Two doctors have been removed from the medical register after helping overseas graduates cheat in exams that test whether they are safe to practise medicine in the UK.
The General Medical Council (GMC) requires overseas-trained doctors to pass a set of assessments before they can work in the NHS. According to the BMJ, the two doctors who were struck off — named as Dr Elmira Yaghmaei and Dr Hamed Salehi — had actively assisted candidates in cheating those tests — examinations that exist specifically to protect patients by confirming clinical competence and language ability.
Being struck off the medical register means a doctor loses the legal right to practise medicine in the UK. It is the most serious sanction available to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), the independent body that handles fitness-to-practise hearings for doctors in the UK.
The BMJ reported the case, naming the individuals involved as Dr Elmira Yaghmaei and Dr Hamed Salehi. The specific exam targeted was reportedly PLAB 2, the practical clinical and professional-skills examination for international medical graduates.
So why does this matter? Overseas medical graduates make up a hefty part of the NHS workforce, and the licensing exams — which include clinical skills and professional knowledge assessments — are the main safeguard ensuring that doctors trained abroad meet UK standards before treating patients. Any attempt to undermine those tests goes directly to patient safety.
The GMC and MPTS did not issue a public statement beyond what the BMJ reported. Anyone with concerns about a doctor’s fitness to practise can contact the GMC directly through its public-facing reporting service.
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*If you have a concern about a doctor or other healthcare professional, contact the GMC on 0161 923 6602. For urgent health concerns, call NHS 111 or, in an emergency, 999.*
Source: @bmj_latest