Nursing and Midwifery Council determination — substantive hearing
NMC panel strikes off nurse Rufus Onya after cocaine supply conviction
The Nursing and Midwifery Council's Fitness to Practise Committee has struck mental health nurse Rufus Ogbonna Onya off the register after he was convicted of possessing cocaine with intent to supply and sentenced to eight years in prison.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 19 June 2026 · Updated 9 July 2026
Erasure (struck off the register)
Added to MedicWatch: 9 July 2026Report a correction
What does “struck off the register” mean?
Being struck off (the regulator calls this "erasure") removes the practitioner from the register. They are no longer permitted to practise this profession in the UK. Erasure can be reviewed after a minimum of five years, but is otherwise indefinite.
Concerning Rufus Ogbonna Onya, nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council 23B1563E).
Decision date: 19 June 2026 · Hearing started 19 June 2026
In plain English
The NMC's Fitness to Practise Committee found that mental health nurse Rufus Ogbonna Onya had been convicted of possessing a Class A drug, cocaine, with intent to supply, and of breaching bail conditions. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. The panel found his fitness to practise impaired on public interest grounds and made a striking-off order, with an 18-month interim suspension order to cover any appeal period.
Charges
That you, a registered nurse: 1. Were convicted on 21 July 2025 at Carlisle Crown Court of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class A (cocaine), contrary to section 5(3) of and Schedule 4(1) to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. 2. Were convicted on 17 May 2025 at Medway Magistrates Court of breaking or being likely to break bail conditions and the duty to surrender into the custody of a court, contrary to section 7(3)(b), (4) and (5) of the Bail Act 1976. And in light of the above, your fitness to practise is impaired by reason of your conviction.
Findings
The panel found charges 1 and 2 proved on the basis of the certificates of conviction, in accordance with Rule 31(2) and (3). Around three kilograms of cocaine were found in the boot of a vehicle driven by Mr Onya, and he was sentenced to 8 years in prison on 22 August 2025. The panel found his fitness to practise impaired on public interest grounds, determining the case fell within the NMC's 'highest risk' category as a specified offence, and that the charges were fundamentally incompatible with him remaining on the register. It made a striking-off order, with an interim suspension order of 18 months to cover the appeal period.
Mitigating and aggravating factors
Mitigating factors
The panel noted the mitigating factor relating to the conviction identified by the sentencing judge, namely that Mr Onya had no previous convictions. It found that, as Mr Onya has not engaged with the NMC, there is no evidence of any mitigation in relation to his nursing practice.
Aggravating factors
Absence of or limited insight; premeditated behaviour.
Source
All facts on this page are drawn from the publicly published Nursing and Midwifery Council determination linked below. MedicWatch does not editorialise the regulator’s findings.
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