Blog & News

The results of the 2018 NHS staff survey have been published and staff errors “that could have hurt patients” is at a five year high.

The NMC have introduced recent changes to the powers conferred on their case examiners. This brings the NMC more closely aligned to the GMC in the way they consider cases.

The NMC have agreed to a request to regulate the new nursing associates role. The NMC strongly believe that the public would expect that any role with nursing in the title should be regulated. The introduction of this new role has been part and parcel of the government’s commitment to strengthening the NHS.

Any nurse or midwife when faced with a fitness to practice referral can make an application to be removed from the register. They can do this at any time in the proceedings. Where the nurse or midwife admits that their fitness to practise is impaired and they do not intend to practise in the future the NMC will consider an application by that nurse or midwife to voluntarily remove themselves from the register where it is not in the public interest to have a full hearing.

There is an increasing awareness that the National Health Service is under mounting pressure today as winter pressures on the service are proving to be the most difficult for some years. In fact, according to media reports, more than four in 10 hospitals in England declared a major alert in the first week of the year as the health service came under increasing pressure.

‘I have been referred to the NMC’ – If you find out that you are going to be the subject of investigation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, you need to be properly informed about the process and it is vital that you act quickly.

NMC charges have historically been published by the regulator. Irrespective the fact that no hearing had taken place or any finding of truth over an allegation, all the charges involved in the case along with accompanying details would be made publicly available 28 days ahead of the hearing taking place.

Direct Access Nursing Barristers – Nurses and midwives can now directly instruct a barrister without having to go through a solicitor. The role of the barrister remains the same as when they are approached via a solicitor or other intermediaries. Nursing law barristers advise nurses and midwives on their legal status or rights.

Fitness to Practice referrals – a hazard for the career on any nurse or midwife! From time to time many nurses have to take action to protect their professional reputations. According NMC Annual Fitness to Practice Report, 2012-13, 43% of NMC final hearings result in nurses and midwives being struck off the register.

NMC Interim Suspension Order – When nurses or midwives are referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the NMC commence conducting an initial risk assessment. This enables them to decide if an Interim Orders Hearing is necessary.

NMC Defence Barristers are nurses law specialists. We provide an excellent service which sets out to meet to the needs of nurses and midwives who face complaints and allegations regarding fitness to practice.

NHS training and education cuts have been announced recently. The Royal College of Midwives commented on the report published on the 20 September by the Council of Deans of Health.

Our NMC lawyers are specialist nursing law barristers with a background is the nursing and midwifery professions. We focus defending the interests of nurses and midwives facing fitness to practise allegations before the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Are you looking for NMC representation? Nurses and midwives have highly responsible roles and are required to adhere at all times to the rigorous NMC Code of Conduct. Sometimes, despite their best efforts allegations against their professionalism are made to the NMC, either by patients or by their employers.

Following a complaint or an allegation form a patient or an employer, a registered nurse or midwife may a letter with the subject line “The NMC has received an allegation that your Fitness to Practise as a Registered Nurse is impaired”.

Nursing Law Barristers are specialist defence lawyers who focus their professional activities on in all areas of nursing and midwifery, and the representation of their cases before the Nursing and Midwifery Council.