The RCN has condemned the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) after the regulator admitted it failed to consider criminal convictions and health concerns in line with its own processes over a period of 12 years. It said that, in some cases, these issues were not properly reviewed when individuals applied to join or stay on the register, despite the information being provided.

We’re calling for an independent investigation to understand how this went undetected for so long and to establish how the NMC’s processes should be improved, with clear recommendations and accountability for future action.

“This is the latest in a catalogue of failings at the NMC and again calls into question whether it is fit for purpose as our profession’s regulator. Today’s vague apology will not suffice, and we will lead the UK’s nursing staff in asking very tough questions,” said Professor Lynn Woolsey, RCN Chief Nursing Officer.

“The NMC must ensure all those practising as registered nurses are safe to do so at the point of registration and throughout their careers. It is a potentially dangerous regulatory failing that individuals made declarations regarding criminal convictions and/or health conditions over such a long period of time without appropriate checks to determine their fitness to practise.

“The immediate focus for the NMC must be to rapidly gather full information in order to fairly review the cases and determine whether the individual can continue to remain on the register without further action. The RCN will closely monitor the situation,” she said.

The NMC regulates nurses and midwives across the UK, and nursing associates in England. It maintains the register of professionals eligible to practise, and it investigates concerns about nurses, midwives and nursing associates - assessing whether an individual's fitness to practise is impaired, and making sure registrants meet the requirements of the NMC Code and relevant standards. 

Lynn also said the NMC is running out of time to turn things around. “Hundreds of thousands of nursing staff across the UK pay for the NMC to regulate the profession, but they are losing trust in an organisation which continually lets them down. Rebuilding that trust must be a priority.

“Nursing continues to be the most trusted profession in the country, but its regulator is once again severely undermining this trust. It is an astounding failure of its primary purpose to safeguard the public, as well as to provide assurance to the nursing workforce that they and their colleagues had all undergone the necessary checks to practise.” 

We understand the NMC will contact 421 nursing and midwifery professionals, and it's estimated that the regulator could make recommendations to an independent panel that up to 15 nursing or midwifery professionals should be removed from the register of 867,935. 

If you’re affected by this news, get in touch with us. Find out more.