More than a dozen nurses and midwives who should have been banned from treating patients continued to work after the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) failed to properly assess individuals over a 12-year period. The regulator apologised, describing the failing as “completely and utterly unacceptable”.
The NMC, which regulates nurses and midwives across the UK and nursing associates in England, maintains a register of over 860,000 staff. To remain on the register, staff must declare any health or character issues that could affect safe practice, such as a serious criminal record or an unmanaged health condition.
The full process for investigating these declarations was not followed for 12 years, after a staff member raised concerns to the NMC’s new leadership. This resulted in up to 15 nurses or midwives who should have been removed from the register being allowed to continue practising. The NMC expects they will be removed following a review, with the final decision made by an independent panel.
Paul Rees, NMC chief executive and registrar, apologised and said the NMC has faced a challenging period, culminating in the Independent Culture Review in July 2024, which highlighted problems including bullying, harassment, racism and system failures. He added that the NMC is under new leadership and undergoing a three-year transformation programme.
Since the issue was raised in February, the NMC has brought in a team of paralegals to assess over 18,000 applications from the period and is contacting 421 nurses and midwives for more information. However, unions have condemned the regulator, with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) calling for an independent investigation. Professor Lynn Woolsey, RCN chief nursing officer, said the apology was “vague” and questioned whether the NMC is fit for purpose. Gail Adams of Unison described the situation as a “serious system failure that should never have been allowed to happen”.
