08.10.15
NMC rubber-stamps revalidation for all nurses and midwives
The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) has today (8 October) made the decision to introduce revalidation for all nurses and midwives in the UK.
The organisation’s Council rubber-stamped revalidation as expected, meaning everyone on the register will have to demonstrate on a regular basis they are delivering care in a safe, effective and professional way.
Prior to the decision being made, Jackie Smith, chief executive and registrar at the NMC, wrote for NHE where she said “all the evidence suggests that revalidation is both achievable and beneficial”.
The NMC has tested revalidation in 19 sites across the UK, and it is expected that nearly 16,000 nurses and midwives will be the first to revalidate in April 2016.
Over the course of the next three years, all 685,000 nurses and midwives on the NMC’s register will go through the new process as their registration becomes due for renewal.
After the Council made its decision, Smith said: “We believe that revalidation will give the public confidence that the people who care for them are continuously striving to improve their practice.”
Danny Mortimer, CEO of NHS Employers, added that the decision made by the NMC is an important one for nurses, midwives and their employers.
“Feedback from the pilot organisations has shown there is more work to do in reassuring nurses and midwives who are unsure and unclear what is expected of them,” he said. “It is critical that the preparation work that will now follow before revalidation goes live is focused on engaging with employers to address this.”
Janet Davies, CEO and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said that revalidation was one of the recommendations of Robert Francis to improve patient care.
Reiterating a similar message to Mortimer, she added it is now important that nurses ensure they are prepared for revalidation.
“The RCN will be working with the NMC to support nurses going through this new process and it is vital that others, especially employers and governments, do the same,” said Davies. “The RCN will continue to evaluate the new model to ensure it is working well for nurses and patients.”