A university must investigate how four medical students were wrongly told they had passed all their final exams, allowing them to practise as doctors, the General Medical Council (GMC) has said.

The junior doctors practised at four hospitals across south Wales for up to 10 days before it was discovered they had failed a module of their degree.

They have now been suspended and their names will be removed from the medical register.

A spokesman for Cardiff University`s Medical School, where the four studied, said they would not have taken any significant decisions about patients` medical care.

He added that no issues had been raised about their work at Llandough Hospital in Cardiff, Morriston Hospital in Swansea, Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli, and Withybush General Hospital at Haverfordwest.

A spokeswoman for the General Medical Council said: "The GMC is already liaising closely with the Cardiff Medical School.

"We will be asking them to investigate the incident and to demonstrate to the GMC that they will take appropriate action to prevent a reoccurrence.

"We have spoken to each of the students affected to explain that we will have to remove their names from the medical register, we will refund their registration fee in full.

"We will remain in close contact with Cardiff Medical School until this situation is resolved."

Copyright © Press Association 2009

(Cardiff University`s Medical School)