We have published our annual performance review of the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Each year we carry out a performance review of the 10 health and care professional regulators. This is a check on how the regulators have performed against our Standards of Good Regulation (the Standards) so that they protect the public and promote confidence in health and care professionals.
This year we found that the NMC has met 17 of the 18 Standards. The NMC did not meet Standard 15 which requires it to deal with fitness to practise complaints as quickly as is consistent with a fair resolution. The time taken to reach decisions about complaints increased again this year, as the effects of the pandemic disrupted the NMC’s ability to deal with cases.
The NMC is implementing a wide-ranging programme of work to improve its performance in this area, but it does not anticipate that the impact of many of its planned measures will be seen for some time. We welcome the clear focus and drive for improvement that the NMC has demonstrated. However, in the absence of evidence of significant improvements to performance at this early stage, the Standard was not met for the second consecutive year.
You can find out more about how we reached our decision in our Performance Review - NMC 2020/21 or read a summary in our snapshot.
ENDS
Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care
Contact: media@professionalstandards.org.uk
Notes to the Editor
- The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care oversees 10 statutory bodies that regulate health and social care professionals in the UK.
- We assess their performance and report to Parliament. We also conduct audits and investigations and can appeal fitness to practise cases to the courts if we consider that sanctions are insufficient to protect the public and it is in the public interest.
- We also set standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for health and social care occupations and accredit those that meet them.
- We share good practice and knowledge, conduct research and introduce new ideas to our sector. We monitor policy developments in the UK and internationally and provide advice on issues relating to professional standards in health and social care.
- We do this to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of users of health and social care services and the public. We are an independent body, accountable to the UK Parliament.
- The Nursing and Midwifery Council (the NMC) regulates the nursing and midwifery professions in the United Kingdom and nursing associates in England. Its work includes: setting and maintaining standards of practice and conduct; maintaining a register of qualified professionals; assuring the quality of education and training for nurses, midwives and nursing associates; requiring registrants to keep their skills up to date through continuing professional development; and taking action to restrict or remove from practice registrants who are not considered to be fit to practise. As at 30 September 2021, the NMC was responsible for a register of 744,929 nurses, midwives and nursing associates. Its annual retention fee for registrants is £120.
- Our values are – integrity, transparency, respect, fairness and teamwork – and we strive to ensure that they are at the core of our work.
- More information about our work and the approach we take is available at www.professionalstandards.org.uk