Regulation for nursing associates moves a step closer
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has today welcomed the Department of Health’s consultation on proposed changes to its legislation to enable the regulation of nursing associates.
The consultation follows the decision of the NMC's Council to agree to regulate the new role, following a request from the Secretary of State for Health in January 2017.
Jackie Smith, NMC Chief Executive and Registrar said:
"This consultation is a vital step towards the NMC becoming the regulator of nursing associates.
“It’s always been our ambition to open the register to nursing associates in January 2019, when the first trainees qualify. But in order to do so, it’s critical that Government drives through the necessary changes to our legislation, to ensure that we’re able to protect the public from the moment the first qualified nursing associates begin to practise.”
The NMC expects the necessary changes to its legislation to come into force by July 2018. This will give the regulator six months until the first trainees qualify to complete the activities that need to be in place in order to open the register. This includes approving the NMC’s Rules and fees, approval of the final nursing associate standards and approval of nursing associates programme providers.
The consultation, Regulation of Nursing Associates in England, will run from 16 October to 26 December.
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Notes for editors
- For media enquiries, please contact NMC press office on 020 7681 5649 or email media@nmc-uk.org.
- The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent professional regulator for nurses and midwives in the UK. We exist to protect the public. We do this by maintaining the register of qualified nurses and midwives and setting standards of education, training, conduct and performance. We make sure that nurses and midwives keep their skills and knowledge up to date through a regular revalidation process. If concerns are raised about the standards of a registered nurse or midwife, we have a duty to investigate and, where necessary, take action to protect the public.
