NMC comments on the PSA's performance review for 2019 - 2020

The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) has today published its performance review of the Nursing and Midwifery Council for the year 2019 – 2020. 

The PSA has found that the NMC had improved its performance compared to the previous year introducing new processes in registration, consulting on and launching the new Future Midwife standards of proficiency, further developing our person-centred approach in fitness to practise and agreeing a new strategy.  It highlighted that more work is required to improve the timeliness of fitness to practise processes.

Towards the end of the review period, the global pandemic was beginning to impact significantly on health and care services.  The NMC responded by establishing the temporary register, introducing emergency education standards, enabling flexibility in revalidation and creating the coronavirus hub of helpful information and guidance.  The PSA noted that the work was undertaken very swiftly demonstrating an agile and flexible approach.

Responding to the publication of the PSA review, Andrea Sutcliffe CBE, our Chief Executive and Registrar, said:

“Looking back to 2019 – 2020 is inevitably influenced by our more recent experience of supporting the UK health and care system response to the global coronavirus pandemic.  The skill and dedication of nursing and midwifery professionals has been rightly highlighted and applauded as our Stories from the Pandemic show. The importance of our regulatory role to protect the public and promote public confidence in nursing and midwifery has never been more important.

“Today’s review of our performance from April 2019 to March 2020 pre-dates the coronavirus pandemic but emphasises some important themes that have influenced our work in the last year.  I welcome the recognition from the PSA that we had improved during that time and I agree with them that focusing on the timeliness of our fitness to practise activity is essential.

“Any delays to our processes have a huge impact on everyone involved. Covid-19 has exacerbated the increase in our fitness to practise caseload and it is our number one priority to tackle in the coming year.

“Work has already begun with new colleagues joining us and improvement initiatives underway, for example, making sure our screening process is efficient as it can be and supporting employers to resolve cases locally where possible. We will be reporting progress in public to our Council.

“The future continues to present challenges for nursing and midwifery professionals and for the NMC.  Given everything we’ve all gone through in the last year, I know we’ll be able to meet those challenges and continue to make progress.  I’m grateful to my colleagues for their hard work and determination that we play our part in making sure safe, effective and kind nursing and midwifery care is available for all.”

Read the full 2019/20 report on the Professional Standards Authority’s website.

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