Nurse banned after cheating in Southampton University exams

Mohammed Khan, who smuggled pre-prepared answers into the exam room, has been found guilty of misconduct by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Mr Khan was on an advanced neonatal nurse practitioner course when he sat a pharmacology and prescribing exam three times in 2021.

The first was held on April 15, when he was found to be in possession of a model answer he had written earlier.

After being handed zero marks, Mr Khan failed a re-sit and took the exam for the third time on December 9, when he again used illicit material in a bid to achieve a pass.

He denied any wrongdoing, but the allegations against him were upheld by a NMC panel, which ruled that he should be struck off.

The London headquarters of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (Image: Google)

The NMC was represented at the hearing by Assad Baruddin.

A NMC report said: "Mr Badruddin submitted that by attempting to cheat and obtain nursing qualifications, Mr Khan acted dishonestly and could have potentially put patients at risk of harm.

"The panel was of the view that Mr Khan’s actions did fall significantly short of the standards expected of a registered nurse."

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Describing his actions as "deliberate and premeditated", the report added: "Nurses occupy a position of privilege and trust in society and are expected at all times to be professional and to maintain professional boundaries.

"Patients and their families must be able to trust nurses with their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

"To justify that trust, nurses must be honest and open and act with integrity. They must make sure their conduct at all times justifies both their patients’ and the public’s trust in the profession.

"Had Mr Khan’s actions not been discovered he would have gone on to practice as an advanced neonatal nurse practitioner, prescribing pharmacological medications while not competent to do so."

A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel has ruled that Mohammed Khan should be struck off (Image: Pexels)

The report said Mr Khan had not made any admissions.

"He had not demonstrated an understanding of how his actions could have put future patients at a risk of harm. He simply denied his actions were dishonest."

Mr Khan's cheating had "indicated a deep-seated attitudinal issue about which he was unrepentant".

"The panel therefore decided that a finding of impairment is necessary on the grounds of public protection because of the risk of a repetition of dishonest behaviour.

"The panel has considered this case very carefully and has decided to make a striking-off order."