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Indian NHS 'cancer specialist' recruited via Skype and so incompetent he had expertise of a first year university medical student is banned from practising in the UK

An NHS 'cancer specialist' hired from India following a Skype interview has been barred from practising in the UK after it emerged he has the same level of skill as a first year medical student.

Manik Sharma, a radiographer responsible for treating cancer patients, was given a contract with Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust following a successful interview over the internet video phone service Skype.

But when Sharma started work at the hospital his obvious lack of competence and understanding stunned his senior colleagues who compared his skill level to that of a first-year university student.

NHS bosses terminated his contract after just two months amid fears Sharma's lack of expertise could potentially put patients at risk.

Sharma, who is in his 30s, was also reported to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) which has now suspended him from practicing for one year for failing to meet the required level of competence of a newly qualified radiographer.

During an HCPC hearing, one of Sharma’s senior colleagues said she had not seen such a 'lack of fundamental understanding' in her 29 years working for the NHS. 

The radiographer’s work standard was felt to be so poor he had to be supervised at all times.

Sharma - who would have received a salary of up to £34,000 annually - also frequently walked out on patients in the middle of consultations and treatments to make personal phone calls. 

Unqualified: Mr Sharma was employed as a radiographer by Colchester General Hospital after a successful Skype interview but fellow staff members were stunned at his lack of knowledge

Stephen Fash, chairman of the disciplinary panel, said: 'It was clear that Mr Sharma never reached a level of competence where he could practice autonomously.

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'He never reached a stage when he could work without constant supervision. The panel has identified a number of serious deficiencies in Mr Sharma’s practice.'

Sharma - thought to be working back in India - was suspended for one year by the council. He was not present and was not represented at the hearing.

HOW FOREIGN HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS ARE APPROVED TO WORK IN UK

All health care professionals are regulated by an independent body.

While doctors are regulated by the General Medical Council and nurses by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, radiographers and other healthcare professionals are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council.

All foreign healthcare professionals under the remit of the HCPC have to register with the organisation and have their qualifications assessed before they are able to practise in the UK.

This process required foreign nationals to fill out a lengthy online international application for registration with the HCPC in their chosen profession.

The applicant must submit details of all their qualifications and experience to demonstrate they meet the Standards of proficiency to practise their profession in the UK.

Each profession at the HCPC has its own specific criteria for assessment, which are set out in the profession specific elements of the standards of proficiency.

Education, training and experience history are then checked by the HCPC - a process which takes around 12 weeks - before successful applicants are added to the HCPC registry which grants them permission to work in the UK.

All medical employers must check staff are HCPC approved before they can employ them.

Mr Fash added: 'It will be open to him to undertake additional education and training in order to demonstrate to the panel which conducts the review hearing that he has addressed those deficiencies.'

Sharma was employed in May last year 2012 following the Skype quizzing but his contract was terminated in July.

A spokesman for Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust said: 'The trust dismissed Mr Sharma during his probationary period on the grounds of capability.

'Our lead for radiotherapy took the decision to report him to the Health and Care Professions Council in order to protect the public and in the best interests of patient safety.'

While regulated by a different body from the HCPC, new measures are being brought in to ensure the calibre of foreign doctors.

Doctors coming to Britain from outside Europe already face strict language tests.

But GPs and hospital doctors from countries in the European Union can work in the UK without any national checks on their competence or language skills.

Under the new laws, bodies of GPs called clinical commissioning groups have a legal duty to ensure that a doctor’s English is up to scratch before they are employed.

The General Medical Council has been pushing for tougher testing in the wake of the death of David Gray in Cambridgeshire in 2008.

The 70-year-old was killed when Dr Daniel Ubani gave him 20 times the legal dose of morphine.

The German doctor – on his first out-of-hours shift – had not had to prove his competence or ability with English before being employed by the Cambridgeshire NHS trust.

Dr Ubani said he was confused by differences between drugs used here and in Germany.

He had previously been denied NHS work in Leeds because of his poor English. 


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