Calls for compensation after hundreds of doctors received wrong exam results in ‘atrocious’ and ‘life-altering’ error

A trade union has called for hundreds of doctors who received the wrong result in a key exam they took nearly 18 months ago to be compensated after a “catastrophic” and “life-altering” error.

Some 222 doctors who had previously been told they passed the Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians Part 2 Written Examination have now been informed that they had failed.

Another 61 doctors were told that they had failed when they had actually passed the September 2023 exam.

The total number of doctors affected amounts to around one-fifth of the 1,451 candidates who sat the exam.

The Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians has said the error is due to a “data processing issue”. It has offered a free resit in March and a refund of examination fees.

The exam is one of three that must be taken by doctors who want to continue training in a medical specialism such as cardiology, respiratory or intensive care medicine.

It consists of two three-hour papers each with 100 questions. UK students must pay up to £502 to sit the exam, with this figure rising to £672 for international students.

Doctors shocked and confused

Katherine, who works as a doctor in the South East, is one of those whose results have been affected.

Speaking to Sky News, the doctor, who is in her late 20s, said she is still in shock and very confused after being notified via email that she will have to retake the exam.

“I thought it was [spam],” she said.

“I was waiting for a follow-up email saying: ‘Sorry we sent that out in error, we want to retract it. I felt sick, it was terrible.”

She added: “A year and a half after you think you are okay, to be told actually I’m taking this away now. I have had colleagues tell they have had nightmares about this.

“I think they [the federation] need to offer some clarity, some recognition of the damage that this could potentially cause.

“It’s kind of ironic, because we get trained on how to break bad news, so it’s hilarious the way they decided to approach all of this.”

Criticism from union

The British Medical Association (BMA) – the trade union for doctors and medical students – said the error was “appalling” and “nothing short of catastrophic”.

Its deputy chair of council Dr Emma Runswick told Sky News that the federation’s handling of the issue has also been “completely atrocious”.

“It’s an expensive exam and it’s a hard exam.

“The failure rate is fairly high and most people do not pass it the first time. Therefore people dedicate months and months of their time and money going to study events and courses.”

Dr Runswick said the offer to resit the exam for free on 26 March is “completely unreasonable”.

She said: “People plan their families and their lives around this and they will be in very different circumstances now. To give them six weeks to refamiliarise themselves with the format of the questions and to make sure that they have all of the material, and to offer one date – they might be on leave, on nights, they might have holiday booked, they might not have childcare.

“The response from the federation has been completely atrocious. It’s not half as much time as is necessary either to prepare or to arrange your life to make sure you could take it.”

Dr Runswick said that some doctors who have contacted the BMA are “very distressed” and the error has had a major toll on their wellbeing.

“They don’t know if they’re going to lose their jobs because to be in a specialty registrar post, you have to have this [exam]. And they no longer meet the criteria.

“Are they going to get sacked? How are they going to sort out their lives for a resit in six weeks? Do they really have to resit? What was their mark in the end? How has this happened? Why has it taken 18 months? That level of distress, that life and career-altering distress, has an impact.”

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BMA chair of council Professor Philip Banfield said: “The federation must commit to significant support and compensation for all the doctors whose lives and careers will be in turmoil today because of this mistake.”

The BMA said it has started negotiations to ensure there is no detriment to any doctors affected.

Those negotiations involve organisations including the federation, the employers of those affected, the General Medical Council (GMC), and the Department of Health and Social Care along with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish health departments.

When questioned more on the matter by Sky News, a spokesperson for the federation said the issue was identified after a recent audit of results from both parts of the written exam.

Asked if giving compensation is something they have considered, they said: “We will only be in a position to discuss these matters publicly once we have had conversations with each doctor involved, as each situation is unique to their specific circumstances.”

They added that an “independent review” has been launched to determine why the issue occurred.

Dozens of doctors contact BMA

Around 60 doctors who have been affected have been in contact with the union so far.

Both the federation and the BMA have said the error will have no effect on patient safety.

Dr Mike Jones, executive medical director of the federation, said: “On behalf of the federation, 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,” he said.

The GMC said: “We know this will be a concerning and disappointing time.

“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.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care told Sky News: “This is very concerning and we have asked NHS England to work with the Royal College of Physicians and the General Medical Council to ensure this issue is rectified as a matter of urgency.”