Nursing while Black - Cleared by NMC & Punished by Home Office. Help us find Chuk a Nursing job

Chuk, a Black Mental Health Nurse and dedicated member of Equality 4 Black Nurses, was wrongfully referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) within two days of starting a new role at Cygnet Health Care – Delfryn House in Mold, Wales. After more than a year of investigation, the NMC cleared him of all allegations. Yet despite this vindication, Chuk is now facing deportation. The injustice lies not in patient safety concerns but in systemic misuse of regulatory processes that have left him unprotected.

The sequence of events is deeply troubling. In January 2024, Chuk began his role at Cygnet Health Care with enthusiasm and professionalism. On his very first day, he was subjected to sexual and racial harassment by a white hospital manager who made inappropriate remarks about his private life, repeatedly pressured him to accompany her on breaks, and used racially stereotyped comments linking Black men with sexual prowess. Such conduct is in clear breach of the NHS Sexual Safety in Healthcare Charter (2023) and equality law. When Chuk rejected her advances, the situation escalated. By the second day, he was dismissed from his new job and referred to the NMC, accused of lateness, instability, and smelling of cannabis. These allegations were false.

Chuk had disclosed on day one that he used a prescribed treatment for chronic pain, Sativa THC sublingual oil. Rather than engaging occupational health services or providing support, the employer pathologised him. The white manager framed him as a risk and attached unsubstantiated claims of mental health instability. This was not safeguarding; it was retaliation.

Chuk’s ordeal did not unfold over months or even weeks it happened in hours. He worked a single 8-hour shift on day one. By the time he returned for his second shift the following day, less than 24 hours later, he was suspended. Within that window before he had even settled into the role he was labelled unstable, falsely accused, and referred to the NMC.

In total, Chuk was involved with Cygnet Health Care for fewer than 16 hours across two calendar days. After just one shift and less than a day later, he was not only suspended but set on a trajectory of wrongful referral, stigma, and eventual deportation.

The referral triggered an interim conditions of practice order and the NMC imposed Rule 19, a provision allowing hearings to be conducted in private. Rule 19 is meant to protect registrants, particularly in cases where health concerns are cited, but in practice it has too often shielded employers and regulators from scrutiny. Chuk requested a public hearing, yet this was denied. No medical examination was ever carried out despite consent forms being signed, yet “mental health concerns” continued to be referenced without clinical evidence. This reliance on unverified claims shows a serious failure in due process.

In July 2025, following determined advocacy by Equality 4 Black Nurses, Chuk was cleared and all restrictions were lifted. However, by this stage his sponsorship had already been withdrawn and the Home Office cancelled his visa. On 15 July 2025, he was served with notice to leave the United Kingdom. He has until 13 September 2025 to secure a new employer willing to sponsor him under the Skilled Worker route. If he does not, he will be deported. There is no right of appeal.

Chuk’s treatment reflects a wider pattern of systemic racism within healthcare.

Data obtained through Freedom of Information requests show that Black nurses are referred to the NMC at rates far higher than their white counterparts. These referrals often originate from minor issues, interpersonal conflicts, or retaliatory motives, while comparable concerns involving white staff are frequently dealt with informally. Chuk’s case mirrors this pattern: a baseless referral, a hearing hidden from public view, and a career disrupted even after full exoneration.

Chuk is more than a victim of this system. He has been an active advocate, travelling across the country to support protests, speaking publicly about the misuse of Rule 19, and offering solidarity to other nurses facing similar struggles.

His deportation would not only destroy his career but would also rob the NHS and the wider nursing profession of a dedicated, principled professional who has consistently demonstrated courage and integrity.

We therefore call on NHS and private health providers, immigration lawyers, Members of Parliament, ethical employers, and the wider nursing community to act urgently.

Chuk requires an employer willing to provide sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa. We urge institutions to condemn the actions of Cygnet Health Care and to press for a review of how Rule 19 is applied, particularly when it is used to silence rather than protect Black professionals.

Time is running out. Chuk’s story is not only about one nurse but about the wider misuse of regulatory and immigration systems that continue to marginalise Black professionals. Despite everything he has endured, Chuk stands ready and willing to work. He is cleared, capable, and committed not only to his patients but also to the values of compassion, care, and service that define our profession. Every wrongful referral and unjust removal does more than harm an individual; it weakens the NHS, erodes trust, and strips away the diversity that is its greatest strength. Chuk is ready to contribute today.

All he needs is the opportunity.

Chuk is a Black Nurse who deserves a future in the NHS

We ask employers, advocates, and allies to stand with Chuk. Contact Equality 4 Black Nurses at matron@equality4blacknurses.com or call 0208 050 2598 if you can offer a sponsored role or practical assistance. Share his story, raise your voice, and demand that justice and accountability replace silence and bureaucracy.

Justice for Chuk is justice for all Black nurses.