NMC and GMC launch joint resources to strengthen teamwork and safety in maternity care

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the General Medical Council (GMC) have jointly launched two new resources aimed at improving multidisciplinary working and supporting professionals delivering maternity care across the UK.

Published on 3 March 2026, the collaboration brings together the GMC’s new maternity page on its ethical hub and the NMC’s Good Teamwork Means Better Maternity Care case studies. Both regulators say the materials are designed to offer practical advice, reinforce existing professional standards, and help clinicians provide compassionate, high‑quality care at a time of sustained pressure on maternity services.

Responding to persistent concerns in maternity safety

The initiative follows a series of high‑profile investigations into maternity and neonatal services, including the East Kent and Nottingham reviews, which exposed repeated failures in teamwork, communication and compassion. These inquiries highlighted how poor multidisciplinary relationships and weak escalation pathways can directly compromise the safety of women and babies.

Tracey MacCormack, Assistant Director for Midwifery at the NMC, and Cathy Finnegan, the GMC’s Head of Strategy and Planning in the Standards team, said the joint project reflects a shared commitment to “speaking with one voice” on what good practice looks like in maternity settings.

Insights from frontline clinicians and families

The regulators developed the resources after extensive engagement with clinicians, professional bodies, system regulators, equalities organisations and programmes such as NHS England’s Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme. A GMC staff member shadowed a maternity ward for several days, while the NMC midwifery team visited services across the UK to gather real‑world insight.

Stakeholders highlighted several recurring challenges:

• Difficulties in multidisciplinary working, including strained team relationships and inconsistent handovers.
• Communication barriers with women and families, particularly where English is not a first language.
• Uncertainty around escalation routes, candour and speaking up.
• Persistent inequalities in care and outcomes, and the need for practical actions to address them.

The regulators also worked with patient organisations and charities supporting bereaved families, including Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit, to ensure the resources reflect the experiences of those most affected by maternity failings.

Two complementary resources

The GMC’s new ethical hub content is organised around the key themes raised during engagement. It highlights the most relevant areas of professional standards and signposts clinicians to guidance from across the sector.

The NMC’s case studies showcase examples of good practice and lessons learned from midwives, doctors, neonatal nurses, students, and women and families. They illustrate how professional standards can be applied in day‑to‑day maternity scenarios.

Both regulators stress that the materials do not introduce new standards or replace formal guidance. Instead, they aim to help professionals interpret existing expectations in complex, high‑pressure environments.

Supporting reflection and better teamwork

The NMC and GMC are encouraging registrants to use the resources to reflect on their practice and strengthen collaboration with colleagues across disciplines. They say the joint work has been “a very positive experience” and hope the materials will support safer, more equitable maternity care.

Webinar planned for 25 March

A joint webinar will take place at 15:00 on Wednesday 25 March, offering further insight into the development of the resources and the importance of effective teamwork in maternity services. Speakers will include Cultural Safety Midwives Paris Pinnock‑Cowell and May Stevens, NHS England National Specialty Advisor Dr Tony Kelly, and Imelda Smyth, a service user representative on the NMC’s Maternity Strategic Advisory Group.

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