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Nurses

Original answer

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom. The NMC is responsible for delivery of its statutory functions including maintaining a register of all nurses and midwives eligible to work in the UK and for pursuing fitness to practise investigations against its registrants in the interests of public protection.

On each of the NMC and General Medical Council (GMC) websites there is a facility to search the professional registers and to check the registration status of a registrant. Where an NMC registrant has been struck-off the register, their record is removed from the register and they would not be found on a register search. However, the NMC does publish information about fitness to practise (FtP) allegations, hearings, outcomes and sanctions elsewhere on its website in accordance with its FtP publication and disclosure policy. Where a GMC registrant is erased from the medical register, their record remains and could be found in a register search with details of the FtP sanction.

It is a matter for the regulators themselves to determine how they manage their publication and disclosure policy in relation to fitness to practice, within the legislative frameworks in which they operate.

The answer was corrected by Ben Gummer (Conservative)

on Tuesday, 2 February 2016 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Corrected answer

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom. The NMC is responsible for delivery of its statutory functions including maintaining a register of all nurses and midwives eligible to work in the UK and for pursuing fitness to practise investigations against its registrants in the interests of public protection.

On each of the NMC and General Medical Council (GMC) websites there is a facility to search the professional registers and to check the registration status of a registrant. Where an NMC registrant has been struck-off the register, their record is removed from the register and they would not be found on a register search. However, the NMC does publish information about fitness to practise (FtP) allegations, hearings, outcomes and sanctions elsewhere on its website in accordance with its FtP publication and disclosure policy. Where a GMC registrant is erased from the medical register, their record remains and could be found in a register search with details of the FtP sanction. Both of these regulators maintain public records about individuals who have been struck off or erased from their professional registers and these records are available through their respective websites.

It is a matter for the regulators themselves to determine how they manage their publication and disclosure policy in relation to fitness to practice, within the legislative frameworks in which they operate.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

20584

Session

2015-16

Subjects

Convictions General Medical Council Nurses Training Nursing and Midwifery Council

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk