Posted 30 January 2025 - 13:15
Posted 30 January 2025 - 13:15
News
Big rise in fitness to practise referrals 'masks' NMC backlog progress
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) reports that fitness to practise (FtP) referrals are increasing, which puts a strain on the system and risks undoing the progress made in tackling the case backlog and improving the referral process for nurses, midwives and the regulator. An independent oversight group is monitoring NMC FtP processes
Nursing and Midwifery Council reports that fitness to practise referrals are increasing, which masks work done to tackle caseloads and improve referral process
A sustained rise in fitness to practise (FtP) referrals is ‘masking’ progress that has been made in tackling the FtP case backlog, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) states.
The nursing regulator has received 4,845 referrals since April 2024, while the average number of referrals per month from January to December 2024 was 542, according to its latest council meeting papers. This represents a 17% increase compared with the same period in 2023, when the regulator received an average of 464 referrals per month.
Meanwhile, the total FtP caseload in December 2024 was 6,633 – up from 5,778 in January 2024 – with the council papers reporting that the overall caseload rose every month in the past year except in May 2024.
Number of referrals puts ‘significant strain on ability to keep up with demand’
An update on the NMC’s FtP improvement plan at the council meeting on 29 January reported that higher-than-expected referral rates were ‘testing the system’ and ‘masking’ the rising number of decisions and progressions it had made on cases.
The NMC was expecting to handle around 450 nursing and midwife referrals per month when its plan to improve its FtP processes was created in March 2024, the report stated.
‘This sustained increase reflects wider trends seen across similar organisations, but it puts significant strain on our ability to keep up with demand. Without bold action, we risk falling behind again, undoing the progress we have already achieved,’ it added.
Increase in fitness to practise referrals dubbed the ‘new normal’
At a council meeting on 29 January, NMC executive director of professional regulation Lesley Maslen said the continued increase in referrals was now being considered the ‘new normal’.
Screening outcomes, however, saw a significant improvement since September 2024, with a record 622 screening decisions being made in November 2024 – the highest in five years.
Screening is the first stage in the FtP process, where the NMC looks at concerns raised about an individual in more detail and decides on the next steps. Making these decisions in a timely manner helps to ensure cases are addressed sooner.
NMC explains plans to improve referral experience
Ms Maslen outlined some of the actions the NMC hopes to take as part of the FtP plan, including reducing the average length of hearings and improving the experience of individuals referred to the regulator.
In April 2024, the NMC pledged to invest £30 million to tackle its spiralling backlog of cases.
Oversight group keeping a close eye on NMC processes
Meanwhile, the Professional Standards Authority has been investigating whether the regulator is meeting standards, including how it addresses concerns raised by a whistleblower about the FtP backlog.
It was also asked by the government to establish an independent oversight group to increase scrutiny of the NMC after a damning review published last year found potentially serious failures in the FtP screening stage.
The group has met four times since it was set up in September 2024, with its next meeting expected to take place on 31 January.
In other news