NMC takes steps to “tackle inequalities in regulation”

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has commissioned a review of its fitness to practise cases in a bid to tackle differences in the experiences and outcomes of nurses from diverse backgrounds.

The research found, for example, that professionals who are men, Black, disabled, or whose sexual orientation we don’t know, are more likely to progress through the stages of our fitness to practise process.

The NMC commissioned the University of Greenwich to review a sample of fitness to practise cases that closed between September 2019 and September 2023. This will enable it to better understand why these differences exist and whether bias or discrimination contribute to the disparities we’re seeing.

The review will also examine the NMC’s current policies and guidance, and assess whether they effectively promote equality within our fitness to practise processes. The NMC said it will use these findings to improve its regulatory role and ensure our fitness to practise practices are as fair as possible for everyone.

There were also disparities in the groups of professionals referred to us by employers. In particular, the NMC found that some employers appear to refer a higher proportion of male and/or Black professionals compared to the proportion on the NMC register, and sometimes compared to the demographics of their own local workforces.

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