Nurse regulator has 'fundamentally changed' for benefit of patients

Livingstone MP Jim Devine last night hosted a parliamentary reception to recognise the creation of the newly-modernised NMC, which has a wholly appointed governing council, with equal lay and professional membership.

This time last year Mr Devine raised concerns in a parliamentary debate about the regulator, which sparked an investigation from the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence, which identified ‘serious weaknesses in the NMC’s governance and culture, in the conduct of its council, its ability to protect the interests of the public through the operation of fitness to practise processes and its ability to retain the confidence of key stakeholders’.

‘Frankly, I wouldn’t be sponsoring this reception as an MP and former mental health nurse, if I did not believe that the NMC had fundamentally changed,’ Mr Devine said last night. ‘It has changed and is entirely focused on ensuring that nurses and midwives practise safely and that they are regulated efficiently and effectively in the public interest.’

Health minister Ben Bradshaw, who recommended an inquiry after hearing Mr Devine’s concerns about the regulator last year, also praised the progress made by the NMC.

The new-look NMC council met for the first time in January. ‘While there has been significant achievements there remains a lot still to do and there can be no room for complacency,’ said council chair professor Tony Hazell.

• Related article: News Analysis: NMC under scrutiny

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