Patient feedback to feature in new public protection measure

Last year, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) announced plans to introduce a process to make sure that the 670,000 nurses and midwives it regulates are able to practise safely throughout their careers. The process is known as revalidation.

Nurses and midwives will have to confirm to the NMC every three years that they remain fit to practise. They may have to reflect on feedback gathered from patients in order to improve their practice. A consultation which launches today seeks views on how this feedback could be incorporated in the process of revalidation. 

Dr Katerina Kolyva, Director of Continued Practice, said:

“Revalidation is a robust way to ensure that nurses and midwives keep their knowledge and skills up to date throughout their career. 

“The public has an important role to play in shaping revalidation for the nurses and midwives who care for them and their families. 

“We hope that revalidation will help the public feel confident that the people who care for them have demonstrated that their practice meets the professional standards we set on a continuous basis.” 

Revalidation will be underpinned by the Code, a set of professional standards which set out the conduct, performance and ethics expected from nurses and midwives. The NMC is also asking what a revised Code should look like, feel like and include. 

“We want to make sure that the fundamental standards for nurses and midwives reflect the needs of the people they care for, so we need to hear about what you would expect from the revised Code.” 

This consultation will seek views on: 

• ways in which nurses and midwives can obtain confirmation of their continuing fitness to practise by someone well placed to comment
• how practice related feedback can be used to improve standards of care
• how revalidation can meet the needs of an individual’s scope of practice or setting

The consultation launches today and runs until 31 March 2014. This is the first of a two part consultation, with the second part to follow in spring 2014.

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 Notes for editors

1.   We are the nursing and midwifery regulator for England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Islands. We exist to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public. We set standards of education, training, conduct and performance for nurses and midwives, and hold the register of those who have qualified and meet those standards. We provide guidance to help nurses and midwives keep their skills and knowledge up to date and uphold our professional standards. We have clear and transparent processes to investigate and deal with nurses and midwives who fall short of our standards.

2.   The Code was last reviewed in 2007 and was introduced in its current form on 1 May 2008.

3.   The revised Code will be presented to Council at the end of 2014, and will come into force shortly after it has been approved.

4.   The principles to underpin revalidation were agreed upon by Council on 12 September 2013.

5.   For media enquiries, please contact Ann Brown or Madeleine Childs at media@nmc-uk.org or on 020 7681 5649/5936.