An error in the marking of a crucial medical exam has sparked outrage from leading doctors, after over 200 trainees were wrongly informed they had passed.
The British Medical Association (BMA) criticized the blunder by the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK, highlighting the serious implications for both doctors and patients.
The federation admitted that over 300 doctors who sat the MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written Examination in September 2023 received incorrect results. According to the BMA, approximately 1,451 medics took the exam, which is a key component of the three-part assessment required for doctors specializing in a medical field.
The error means that more than 200 doctors who believed they had passed, and potentially progressed their training based on this result, now face the reality of having failed. The BMA expressed concern over the “far-reaching” consequences of this mistake, impacting doctors’ career paths and potentially patient care.
A statement from the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK said incorrect results were given because of a data processing issue.
The total included 222 doctors who were told they had passed when they had failed, and 61 who were told they had failed when they had passed.
Those impacted by the error are being informed by the federation.
Exam fees will be refunded, it said, and resits will take place free of charge.
However, the BMA claims medics who were told they had passed may have since progressed in their careers and could now face uncertain futures, while those who were told they had failed have either paid to resit or may have left medicine altogether.
Professor Philip Banfield, chair of the BMA council, 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.
“For those 222 doctors who have spent the past 18 months believing they had passed, but have not, they will be equally devastated and unsure what lies ahead.
“The moral, legal and governance aspects of this truly terrible mistake are far-reaching and must not be under-estimated by the public, Government, and the NHS.”
The BMA has called for an independent investigation into the issue.
An error made by the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK has left 222 doctors with incorrect MRCP(UK) exam results—some wrongly told they passed, others told they failed. @DrPhilBanfield calls this catastrophic, demanding an urgent independent investigation… pic.twitter.com/wyKvTPHQsb
— The BMA (@TheBMA) February 20, 2025
“The ramifications of this appalling situation are far-reaching for doctors and patients,” Prof Banfield added.
“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.
“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.
“We want all doctors affected by this catastrophic error to contact the BMA. We are talking to the Royal College of Physicians, and we are exploring options for support, compensation, and recompense with our legal team.”
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.”
