Our core role is to regulate.
One of the ways we do this is by investigating concerns about nurses, midwives and nursing associates – something that affects a tiny minority of professionals each year.
Our standards are set out in The Code and a nurse, midwife or nursing associate must make sure that their skills, knowledge, education or behaviour don’t fall below these standards needed to deliver safe, effective and kind care.
If they meet these standards, this is what we call being fit to practise.
If someone raises a concern about someone's skills, behaviour and their right to be on our register, this will go through what we call the fitness to practise process.
This process allows us to understand as quickly as possible whether a registered professional presents a risk to the public. If they do, we can take steps to promote learning and prevent issues arising again.
As a regulator, our role isn't to punish people for things that have happened, but to make sure that nurses, midwives and nursing associates meet the standards they need to practise safely.
