NMC to launch new midwifery fitness to practise data dashboard

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is preparing to launch a new midwifery fitness to practise data dashboard, offering the first consolidated snapshot of midwifery‑related fitness to practise information across all four UK nations. The tool forms a central part of the regulator’s Midwifery Action Plan, with the latest progress report confirming development is nearing completion.

Designed to strengthen sector‑wide understanding of midwifery regulation, the dashboard will provide partners—including employers, system leaders and educators—with accessible insights into the types of concerns raised about midwives, as well as demographic trends and time on the register across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The NMC says the dashboard will support organisations to tailor training, supervision and pastoral support where it is most needed, helping to improve safety and consistency in maternity care.

Prof Donna O’Boyle MBE, Acting Executive Director of Professional Practice, described the dashboard as a “vital tool” that will help the sector better understand the fitness to practise landscape and respond proactively. “These insights, along with our ongoing work to review and improve our standards, will help support midwives to deliver the best possible care,” she said.

The progress report also confirms that the NMC will consult in February 2026 on potential changes to midwifery education, including whether programmes should be extended in length. Independent midwifery professors are currently reviewing the NMC’s standards of proficiency in light of recent maternity reviews, while UK universities’ curricula are being mapped against existing standards to identify areas for strengthening—particularly around cultural competence, unconscious bias and anti‑racism.

The NMC expects to publish the new midwifery fitness to practise dashboard by the end of January 2026.

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