NMC warns GPs about illegally working nurses

09 May 2012

The Nursing and Midwifery Council is reminding GPs that they have a responsibility to ensure that the nurses whom they employ are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The General Practitioners Committee (GPC) of the British Medical Association, Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the NMC have come together to inform GPs that nurses cannot legally practice in the UK unless they are registered with the NMC.

The warning points out that the 60,000 GPs registered in the UK which do not perform the required checks could find themselves facing contract sanctions, and nurses may be liable for prosecution for claiming to be registered when they are not.

Using the NMC’s free employer confirmation service GPs can easily check a nurse’s current registration status and details of any conditions of practice, cautions or suspensions issued as a result of fitness to practise proceedings.

Professor Judith Ellis interim Chair of the NMC said:

“As the regulator for the UK’s 670,000 nurses and midwives, it is the NMC’s duty to ensure the health and wellbeing of patients and the public. Nurses and midwives cannot legally practise in the UK unless they are registered with the NMC. A nurse practising without registration puts themselves and their patients at risk.”

and Dr Laurence Buckman Chairman of the GPC said:

“GPs will recognise the importance of making sure the qualifications of all their practice staff are properly checked before they are appointed. If they weren’t aware of the NMC’s free confirmation service already we would recommend they use it as it’s a valuable resource.”

Find out more about the NMC’s employer confirmation service go to www.nmc-uk.org/Employer-confirmations/