NMC admits delays and strengthens fitness to practise approach in response to Ockenden maternity review

The Nursing and Midwifery Council has acknowledged that it was too slow to act on concerns linked to Nottingham University Hospitals and has outlined a series of changes to improve how fitness to practise issues are identified and managed.

In a detailed submission to the Ockenden review, the regulator says it has “made mistakes” in the way concerns were screened and progressed, and that its previous approach did not give sufficient visibility to patterns emerging across multiple cases. The NMC has now moved all Nottingham‑related matters into its Sensitive and Complex Casework team to ensure consistent oversight and earlier recognition of risk.

The regulator has redistributed caseloads so that linked concerns are handled by the same staff, introduced wraparound support for case managers, and expanded access to clinical advice at the earliest stage. It has also reviewed 336 family feedback forms outside the usual referral process to check whether any fitness to practise concerns had been missed.

The submission reiterates that fitness to practise is focused on future public safety, not punishment, and highlights improvements in timeliness, with 74% of cases now resolved within 15 months. A new midwifery data dashboard has also been launched to increase transparency around referrals and outcomes.

The NMC says these changes reflect learning from families, the review team and its own internal scrutiny. It describes the Nottingham situation as a “wake‑up call” and commits to strengthening its fitness to practise processes to ensure concerns are recognised and acted on more quickly.

If you want this tightened further, made more SEO‑heavy, or adapted for a social‑work audience, I can reshape it.

Disclaimer: The accuracy and information of news stories published on this website is accurate on the date of publishing. We endeavour to update stories if information change. You can contact us with change and update requests. Where possible, we will link to sources. Content on this website is for guidance purposes only. We cannot accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever for any action taken, or not taken. You should seek the appropriate legal advice having regard to your own particular circumstances.