Iwuh, who used his job to gain the trust of his victim before luring her to his home and raping her in June 2022, went on to work at two London NHS Trusts after the allegations came to light – the Central and North West London Foundation Trust and the Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust.
The Met Police first contacted the NMC in September 2022 to make it aware of the investigation into Iwuh following his arrest.
But the NMC took no action and Iwuh continued to work as a nurse, The Independent reports.
It wasn’t until October 2023, a day after the regulator was informed that he had been charged, that it opened an investigation and he then wasn’t suspended until November.
The NMC said: “We recognise that we could – and should – have acted faster, to open our investigation and suspend Mr Iwuh from practice. We also acknowledge that we did not do enough to ensure his employers were aware of the interim suspension order we subsequently issued. For this, we are extremely sorry.”
The statement added: “We take all allegations of sexual assault extremely seriously. The public should have confidence in the professionals providing their care. Anyone raising a concern deserves to feel supported and listened to.”
The NMC said it has embarked on a turnaround programme including setting up a Safe Guarding hub since Iwuh’s case.
“We are building a new NMC, so that we become the fair, effective and trusted regulator the public deserves,” it said.
The Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust, which said Iwuh had worked there on a temporary and intermittent basis, said: “We unreservedly condemn the actions of this individual, and our thoughts are with all those affected.”
The Central and North West London Foundation Trust said Iwuh’s crimes were abhorrent and it intends to carry out an inquiry into his time at the trust.
Iwuh used his job as a nurse to gain the victim’s trust after matching with her on the app Hinge.
The court heard how he persuaded her to visit his home under the pretext that he needed to prepare for a hospital shift and had limited time.
They met on Wednesday, June 8 2022, the day after first speaking online, and arranged to meet at Norwood Junction station.
Once at his home in South Norwood, he tried to kiss her repeatedly and, when she tried to leave, forced her into a bedroom and raped her.
The woman, in her 40s, reported the attack later that same day using an online Met Police form.
When Iwuh was arrested, officers discovered he had filmed the rape on his phone.
A forensic search revealed nearly 11,000 contacts saved on the device, the majority of which were women’s names followed by the name of a dating app.
Detectives now believe there may be more victims who were approached under similar circumstances and are appealing for them to come forward.
Detective Inspector Sharad Verma, from the South Area Command Unit, said: “I would like to commend the strength of the victim-survivor who bravely reported this awful attack and for her strength throughout this investigation.
“Officers were dedicated in bringing this predator to justice and during the investigation, found that Iwuh had videoed the rape which was then used as evidence against him.
“They also discovered almost 11,000 contacts saved on his phone. Around 60 per cent of those were saved as a woman’s name alongside the name of a dating app.
“We believe there may be more victims out there, targeted by Iwuh under the same circumstances, and urge them to contact us or their local police force.
“I hope the victim-survivor can find reassurance in our actions to put this predator behind bars and that it may give more women the strength to come forward and report crimes. You will be listened to and supported.”
The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “This has had a devastating impact on every part of my life.
“Not only was I physically injured but it left me feeling emotionally numb and living in fear. The trauma from this affected my ability to work, relationships, and my health.
“Now he’s in prison, I do feel there has been some justice. I’ve been supported by officers throughout the investigation, and I would encourage others who have been harmed to come forward, report what has happened and get help and support.”
