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Key issues
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 Regulatory change: The Nursing and Midwifery Council, which came into being in April 2002, is a smaller, more strategic regulatory body than its predecessor, the UKCC. Some of its new responsibilities came into effect from that date; others will be introduced incrementally over two to three years.
Registration issues: The NMC inherited substantial problems with the registration system, which is at the heart of public protection. There were delays in newly-qualified nurses and midwives getting onto the register, problems for existing registrants renewing their registration, and long delays in handling applications from overseas-trained nurses and midwives. The NMC put in place emergency measures to resolve the immediate problems and longer-term measures to significantly improve the registration system and substantially enhance telephone access to the organisation. The Council has resolved all the problems and there are currently no backlogs in registration.
Overseas-trained nurses and midwives: The huge increase in numbers of overseas-trained nurses and midwives applying for registration in the UK is having a major impact on NMC business and finance. It takes on average 115 days from initial request for an application form to a NMC decision; of this period, only 15 days of activity are within the NMC's gift, the rest comprising postal activity and waiting for forms to be returned, personal and professional references, and information from the relevant regulatory body overseas. A majority of applications tend not to be successful and, of those that are, a majority require a period of three to six months adaptation in the UK.
Once all the correct information has been received, decisions are made on overseas applications within 28 days.
Nursing and midwifery education: Key issues within pre-registration education include: broadening access to education, ensuring that half the course is spent in clinical practice, ensuring that students on practice placements get the support they need from experienced nurses and midwives, the nature of the specialisation students can opt for after a common foundation year, and inter-professional education. Research indicates that it is the lack of support on practice placements which creates the greatest problem for students.
Greater public involvement: The NMC strongly supports greater public involvement in its work. This includes more effective consultation with the public, involvement in the nature of the public information available, effective public involvement in policy and standards development, and the greater use of service users in its panels dealing with professional misconduct.
The NMC has set up an external reference panel, of whom a majority are lay people, and recruited 60 lay people and practitioners to serve on its policy committees and panels hearing professional conduct cases. |
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