Nursing & Midwifery Council

Education & Societies

Openess and honesty

The NMC has pledged to do more to put openness and honesty at the heart of healthcare.

Leaders of eight of the UK professional healthcare regulators have published a joint statement http://www.gmc-uk.org/Joint_statement_on_the_professional_duty_of_candour_FINAL.pdf_58140142.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Nursing+and+Midwifery+Council&utm_campaign=4853755_Patients+and+public+15+October+2014&dm_i=129A,2W16J,6678BT,AGNSS,1, setting out our commitment to a duty of candour for healthcare professionals.

The common professional duty clarifies what the regulators expect of healthcare professionals whether working in the public, private or voluntary sectors.The duty of candour underlines what patients can and should expect of those who treat them and gives reassurance that regulators will respond if professionals fall short of expectations.

The joint statement says:

Every healthcare professional must be open and honest with patients when something goes wrong with their treatment or care which causes, or has the potential to cause, harm or distress.

This means that healthcare professionals must:

tell the patient (or, where appropriate
apologise to the patient (or, where appropriate, the patient’s advocate, carer or family);
offer an appropriate remedy or support to put matters right (if possible); and
explain fully to the patient (or, where appropriate, the patient’s advocate, carer or family) the short and long term effects of what has happened.

Registration fee increase

Last week, The NMC Council agreed to increase the annual registration fee for nurses and midwives from £100 to £120. This will come into force early 2015.

Mark Addison CB, Chair of the NMC, said:

"Today we made the difficult decision to increase the annual registration fee for nurses and midwives to £120.

"We have considered the responses to the consultation in detail and we have listened carefully to the issues raised. We recognise the financial pressures that many nurses and midwives are facing at a time of widespread pay restraint, and the tough and demanding jobs they do.

"However, as Council members and trustees of the NMC, our first duty is to ensure the protection of the public. We are committed to keeping the fee at the lowest level which allows us to fulfil that statutory duty, and we will continue to search for more efficient ways of working.

"Currently, the only way for us to significantly reduce our costs is to change the existing legislation, which requires us to take more cases to a hearing than is necessary. We will continue to press vigorously for changes to our legal framework."