The MRCP exam disaster’s hidden cost for women

Dear Editor,

Kate Womersley and Stephanie Kelly rightly highlight how devastating the marking error by the Federation of the Royal College of Physicians of the UK has been on those doctors who were given the wrong exam result for the MRCP UK exam. They will understandably be extremely distressed, and the effects will have taken a significant emotional, mental, and financial toll.

These effects, as the authors rightly acknowledge, will no doubt vary depending on each doctor’s circumstances. Those applying for higher specialty training were among the group seriously impacted by the marking error, and I thought it important to clarify that when it comes to these applications the rules for recruitment are not made by the GMC, but by the Medical and dental recruitment and selection group on behalf of the four statutory education bodies of the UK.

We have asked the Federation for assurance that all of those affected have the tailored support they need for as long as it takes to resolve the issue. We will work closely with all those involved – the Federation, AoMRC, the four UK statutory education bodies, employers, postgraduate deans, and responsible officers - to make sure this happens.

We have also asked the Federation to provide a full report that explains what led to the marking error and the immediate improvements it will make to ensure this does not happen again. And we have asked for regular updates from the Federation against their proposed actions, including how they are involving the AoMRC in this work.

When mistakes are made, we can be asked to change the way pass or fail decisions are made to reduce the impact on candidates. It is neither appropriate nor fair to other doctors that have passed or previously failed the exam, to change the outcome because of administrative errors. Doctors must have confidence that royal colleges can administer exams competently, and the public must have confidence that decisions made about the assessments of doctors maintain patient safety.

We have a statutory duty to approve the assessments designed and developed by royal colleges, but this is reliant on them maintaining the required standards. It is their responsibility, as the awarding bodies, to deliver assessments and quality manage their processes. Adhering to our standards provides confidence for patients and the public that doctors have the appropriate skills and training to deliver the high-quality patient care they rightly deserve.