Nurses and midwives set to face three yearly checks

Posted 08/09/2013

Nurses and midwives in the UK look set to face three-yearly checks from the end of 2015 under proposals currently being put forward by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).  The Council wants to see patients, colleagues and employers give feedback on performance and states that this revalidation will promote “greater professionalism” and “improve the quality of care”. Those deemed not up to scratch face being barred from working, whereas currently it is up to nurses themselves to declare that they are fit to practice.A similar system but with five-yearly checks was introduced last year for Doctors. The proposals for the 670,000 nurses and midwives in the UK register have been under discussion for years. The NMC has been struggling with a backlog of disciplinary cases over recent years and has struggled to push ahead with the change. Following the uproar over standards of care in the wake of Stafford the NMC has committed itself to coming up with firm proposals. These are set out in the board paper drawn up by the NMC and will be discussed at a meeting of the regulators in the coming weeks. If it is agreed the NMC would launch a consultation early next year.Three options will be put forward with the favoured one being three-yearly checks involving patient, colleague and employer feedback. The NMC envisages that the checks will form part of the appraisal process but admits that as the system beds down, dedicated roles may need to be created to oversee the process. This has been done for the medical profession with the creation of responsible officers although it could prove more costly for nurses and midwives as there are more of them. Consideration may also be given to carrying the checks five-yearly to reduce the workload.The NMC are determined that the process will be up and running by the end of 2015 and it will evolve as it is rolled out.The Chief Executive, Jackie Smith said that “Ensuring that the skills and conduct of nurses and midwives remain up to date throughout their careers is an important area of regulation. Any effective system of revalidation will increase public confidence that nurses and midwives remain capable of safe and effective practice.”Tom Sandford of the RCN union said: “Knowing that every nurse no matter when they qualified is fit to practice in a modern setting and competent for the role they are performing is an important issue of patient safety as well as patient confidence”. But he warned it would require proper funding and close working between employers and the regulator for it to work well.Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said: “I support the introduction of nurse revalidation, particularly in the wake of the Francis report, but recognise that any scheme must be tested to make sure it works for nurses and improves safety and quality of care for patients”.Julie Crossley, a medical injury lawyer at Ashtons Legal comments: “This has to be a good thing for both the Nursing profession and patients alike”.