NMC celebrates the 75th anniversary of the NHS

Since 1948, the NHS has touched the lives of so many with an estimated one million people using its services every day. It makes such a positive difference to people’s health and care, and today is our chance to say thank you.

Regulation at its heart

Everyone who accesses the NHS has the right to safe, effective and kind care, and regulation is at the heart of making this happen. With more than 788,000 nursing and midwifery professionals on our register, our role is to ensure that people who use services receive the high-quality care they have the right to expect.

We do this by setting and upholding high standards of education and proficiency that apply to every registered nurse, midwife and nursing associate across the UK. Their competence, knowledge and skill are why nursing and midwifery are some of the most trusted professions, both within the NHS and beyond.

Celebrating diversity

This year also marks the 75th anniversary of another momentous event – the arrival of more than 1,000 passengers from the West Indies on the HMT Empire Windrush. The NHS and the Windrush generation are closely interlinked, with many passengers, their children, and grandchildren playing a vital role in shaping our nation’s health service in its formative years, and the decades that followed.

Now, almost 28 percent of dedicated professionals on our register are from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. These nurses, midwives and nursing associates play a crucial role in nurturing and improving people’s health and wellbeing. It’s so important that our increasingly diverse professionals, whether educated internationally or in the UK, are part of an inclusive workplace culture that supports them to thrive, and is free from racism, bullying and discrimination.

Our recent anti-racism resource, which we produced in collaboration with NHS England and NHS Confederation, is just one of the ways we’ve been working to tackle racism and discrimination within health and social care.

The importance of social care

Not all professionals work in the NHS. 1948 also marked the beginning of what many will consider to be modern social care, with the introduction of the National Assistance Act. This was a milestone, ensuring that those in the community had access to the support and care they needed and deserved.

Nursing professionals have always been at the heart of our local communities. Their knowledge, skill, dedication and compassion are why they’re able to support the needs of people in some of the most vulnerable circumstances. It’s vital that these nurses get the same recognition and respect as their colleagues in the NHS and other areas of health and care, and today we’re taking the opportunity to say thank you.

Andrea Sutcliffe, NMC Chief Executive and Registrar, said:

"Nursing and midwifery professionals are the cornerstone of the NHS. Recent personal experience has shown me yet again what a profound impact they make on people’s lives every day. It has strengthened my commitment to the NMC's role in supporting nurses, midwives and nursing associates to deliver high-quality care for people who use services.

“Health and social care have changed enormously in the last 75 years, and it’s essential that nursing and midwifery practice keeps pace with this constantly evolving landscape. We must have the most effective regulation for nurses, midwives and nursing associates, so that everyone, everywhere can benefit from the safe, effective and kind care they have the right to expect.

“Whether working in the NHS or in social care, nurses, midwives and nursing associates are an inspiration. So, as we celebrate this trio of 75th anniversaries for the NHS, social care and Windrush, let us all take the opportunity to recognise the amazing work these professionals do. And on behalf of the NMC, I’d like to say thank you.”

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