NMC to launch “landmark” consultation on new Code and Revalidation process

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) will open a major public consultation this autumn on a new draft Code and an updated revalidation process, following approval from its governing Council on 21 July. It marks the first full review of these core regulatory tools in more than a decade.

The Code sets out the professional standards expected of the UK’s 867,935 registered nurses, midwives and nursing associates. Revalidation is the three‑yearly process all registrants must complete to maintain their registration and demonstrate ongoing learning and development.

The consultation, running from September to December, will seek views on proposals to strengthen expectations in the Code across several areas, including anti‑discrimination and anti‑racism, safeguarding and public protection, working cultures and staff wellbeing, professional accountability, behaviour outside professional practice, safe use of digital technologies including AI, and public health and health inequalities. The NMC says the changes reflect learning from public inquiries, emerging risks, and evolving practice environments.

Alongside the Code review, the regulator will consult on reforms to revalidation. Proposals include a clearer vision for the purpose of revalidation, a more robust process with an expanded role for confirmers and reflective discussion partners, stronger links to the updated Code and Standards of Proficiency, automatic 12‑week extensions for registrants with valid reasons, and a refreshed verification process that doubles the number of professionals selected and moves to a fully random sample.

Chris Dzikiti, Executive Director of Professional Practice, described the consultation as “a landmark moment for nursing and midwifery in the UK”, noting that professional standards must evolve with changes in health and social care. He said the NMC has listened closely to registrants, employers, service users and the public, and highlighted Council discussions emphasising trauma‑informed approaches in maternity settings.

The NMC has already undertaken extensive engagement, including work with an independent steering group chaired by Professor Sharon Arkell MBE, three advisory groups representing registrants, students and the public, public webinars, and roundtables with midwives, nursing associates and nurses in independent practice and social care. More than 13,700 people responded to an NMC survey last year, calling for stronger focus on digital technologies, anti‑racism and staff wellbeing.

The consultation will open in September, with final proposals expected to be shaped by feedback from professionals and the public.