The five strategic priorities

Aim

Translate learning from relevant maternity and neonatal reviews across the four countries of the UK, alongside other evidence, into clear, current standards, effective education assurance and stronger practice learning and transition support.

Strategic commitments

• Complete and publish the NMC's response to relevant maternity and neonatal reviews across the four countries of the UK by March 2027, distinguishing actions within the NMC's remit from those owned elsewhere
• Map accepted actions across all five strategic priorities, with clear owners, milestones, measures and an audit trail through implementation and evaluation
• Evaluate how current standards and education requirements are being implemented, including practice learning, preceptorship and transition into registration
• Strengthen guidance, education assurance or professional development where evidence identifies an implementation gap
• Consider formal standards change only where evidence demonstrates a regulatory gap and after the appropriate consultation and approval route
• Support clarity in advanced practice and the development needs of internationally educated midwives where these fall within the NMC's remit.

Principal regulatory levers: Standards and guidance; education requirements and quality assurance; registration and revalidation; professional engagement.

Aim

Ensure that regulatory pathways and decisions are fair, equitable, consistent, timely and informed by relevant midwifery expertise.

Strategic commitments

• Integrate midwifery expertise into relevant fitness to practise policy, insight, decision-making and learning routes.
• Take an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory approach to analysing employer referral patterns, outcomes and demographic data to identify potential racial bias, discrimination or differential treatment.
• Strengthen feedback loops so that fitness to practice, safeguarding and referral learning informs standards, education and regulatory guidance.
• Be transparent about disparities, actions taken and the limits of the available data.

Principal regulatory levers: Fitness to practise; safeguarding; regulatory policy human rights recognition; equality insight; employer engagement.

Aim

Make lived experience, fairness, inclusion and cultural safety central to how midwifery regulation is designed, delivered and evaluated.

Strategic commitments

• Help tackle the Black maternal health crisis, by promoting both the NMC's Principles to Support Anti-Racism for Midwifery and Nursing Education and Practice, and future NMC standards, which will seek to embed anti-racism, bias awareness, cultural curiosity, safety and respect
• Embed equity and human rights considerations across standards, policy, education and assurance.
• Ensure regulatory standards, guidance and education challenge racist stereotypes and racist tropes, such as the false beliefs that "Black women don't feel pain" or "have a higher pain threshold", which can lead to delays in assessment, treatment and escalation of care.
• Use learning from lived experiences, inquiries and resources such as short films to strengthen understanding of racism, inequity, listening, advocacy, trauma-informed care and culturally safe maternity practice.
• Address inequities experienced by Black, Asian and minority ethnic midwives and students, by promoting awareness of differential attainment, tackling racism, discrimination and microaggressions within education and practice settings,
• Establish meaningful and accessible routes for women, families, midwives, students and other professionals to inform regulatory priorities.
• Use equity and human rights impact assessment throughout the lifecycle of midwifery work.
• Publish proportionate "you said, we did" updates that show where insight changed decisions and where the NMC could not act.

Principal regulatory levers: Promotion of the NMC's Principles to support anti-racism in midwifery and nursing education and practice, public engagement; co-production; equity and human rights assessment; standards, education and communications.

Aim

Provide visible, credible and accountable midwifery regulatory leadership across the four countries of the UK while remaining clear about the NMC's remit.

Strategic commitments

• Maintain structured engagement with Chief Midwifery Officers, governments, regulators, educators, professional bodies and service-user organisations across the four countries of the UK.
• Formalise the Midwifery Strategic Advisory Group as an advisory and challenge partner within the NMC's governance arrangements.
• Clarify ownership, escalation and accountability for midwifery risks and actions across the NMC.
• Report transparently to Executive Board and Council on progress, risk, equity and learning.
• Invite the Chair of the Midwifery Strategic Advisory Group to attend meetings of Council where midwifery matters are being discussed.

Principal regulatory levers: Governance; assurance; strong relationships across the four countries of the UK; strategic communication; partnership and influence.

Aim

Bring together data, concerns, feedback and learning to recognise emerging risk earlier, act where regulation can make a difference and explain what has changed.

Strategic commitments

• Triangulate education, fitness to practise, complaints, equity, workforce, service-user and other relevant intelligence.
• Maintain structured horizon scanning of reviews, investigations, inquiries, policy developments and emerging risks.
• Track relevant external recommendations from consideration through to acceptance, implementation, embedding and evaluation.
• Develop accessible internal and public reporting where data quality, information governance and interpretation support it.

Principal regulatory levers: Data and analytics; regulatory insight; horizon scanning; recommendation tracking; assurance and public reporting.

Previous Introduction to the Midwifery Regulation Strategy

Next Delivery and Conclusion