Communication at the centre of safe maternity care – NMC

The NMC highlights that communication is woven through every aspect of midwifery and nursing practice: listening to women’s concerns, ensuring informed consent, creating psychologically safe environments, and working effectively within multidisciplinary teams. While Section 7 of the Code explicitly requires professionals to “communicate clearly,” the regulator notes that the principle underpins dignity, respect, teamwork and consent across its wider standards.

Recent reviews of maternity services have repeatedly found that women often do not feel heard during their care. The NMC’s own Spotlight report on bullying, harassment and discrimination further illustrates how poor communication and negative workplace cultures can undermine safety and trust. The regulator warns that maternity teams cannot function effectively when communication breaks down—either between professionals or between professionals and the families they support.

The NMC’s Good Teamwork Means Better Maternity Care resources place communication as one of four essential pillars of safe practice. Midwives and service users contributing to the resource emphasise several themes:

• Informed consent: Midwife Zainab Sarwar and a couple she supported, Iqra and Abdur, describe how language barriers and rushed interactions can compromise genuine consent.
• Dignity and respect: Dr Joe Farmer of Civility Saves Lives and newly qualified midwife Seren Barry outline how incivility affects both staff wellbeing and patient experience.
• Psychological safety: Midwives Kemi Akinmeji and Sabrina Mubiru stress the need for environments where professionals and families feel able to speak up without fear.

These accounts reinforce that communication is not a soft skill but a clinical safety requirement—central to person‑centred care and to meeting the expectations of the Code.

The NMC’s ongoing fitness to practise data shows that concerns frequently arise when communication lapses contribute to misunderstandings, unsafe decisions or failures to escalate. As the regulator continues to refine its approach to fitness to practise timeliness and proportionality, it is signalling that communication standards remain a critical benchmark for assessing professional conduct.

The NMC is encouraging midwives and nurses in maternity settings to engage with its communication resources, alongside its partnership‑focused guidance The Best Midwifery Care Happens in Partnership. Women who recently gave birth describe how strong, respectful communication with their midwives shaped their care experience—reinforcing the regulator’s message that communication is inseparable from safety, professionalism and public confidence.

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