The UK’s nursing and midwifery regulator has confirmed it will launch a public consultation on a new draft Code and a refreshed revalidation process for the professions.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) received approval from its governing body on Tuesday for what will be the first such review of its two key regulatory tools in more than a decade.
“These proposals are designed to ensure the Code and revalidation remain relevant to current and future practice”
Chris Dzikiti
As reported by Nursing Times on Friday, the NMC now plans to hold a three-month consultation on the proposed changes, lasting from September to December.
The regulator revealed last summer that it was going to review both the code of practice for the profession and the revalidation process for remaining on the register.
It said the move was designed to ensure they reflected today’s health and social care landscape, the evolution of professional practice and ongoing expectations.
The regulator will consult on a series of proposals to strengthen expectations in the Code, for example, on anti-discrimination, including anti-racism, bias and stigma.
Public protection and safety considerations, including safeguarding and other areas such as inappropriate access to patient records, will also feature in the suggested changes.
Others cover working cultures, safety in working environments and wellbeing of registrants, and professional accountability, including in the context of inquiries and reviews.
Professional behaviours – including behaviour outside of professional practice – feature too, as do the safe and effective use of digital and other technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
Meanwhile, the NMC will also propose changes to strengthen revalidation by developing a “new vision” for the process, in order to “better explain its purpose and meaning”.
In addition, it plans to make the revalidation process “more robust” to support public protection through an increased role for confirmers and reflective discussion partners.
And it wants to strengthen requirements to support the development of individual professional practice by further embedding the new Code and its standards of proficiency.
Improving access, including moving to 12-week automatic extensions for professionals with valid reasons, is also mooted by the regulator, as is refreshing the verification process.
Chris Dzikiti, the NMC’s executive director of professional practice, said: “This is a landmark moment for nursing and midwifery in the UK.
“Health and social care have evolved significantly over the past decade, and our professional standards must evolve too,” he said.
“These proposals are designed to ensure the Code and revalidation remain relevant to current and future practice, strengthening public protection while supporting professionals to navigate emerging challenges, from tackling discrimination and health inequalities to using digital technologies safely and effectively.”
The NMC has already carried out a survey, which received 13,757 responses from the public and members of the profession, to help inform the review.
Mr Dzikiti added: “We’ve developed these proposals by listening carefully to professionals, employers, people who use services and the public.
“We’ll also reflect on the rich discussions with council members, including ensuring that the proposed changes to the Code emphasise the need for nursing and midwifery professionals to take a trauma-informed approach to listening to mothers, fathers and families in maternity settings.”
