Our engagement forums

Overview

Our Annual Data report (March 2025), show the proportion of all registered professionals from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds have continued to grow. These professionals now account for just under a third of everyone on the register (853,707) which is (32.5 percent, compared to 30.6 percent on 31 March 2024).

These professionals often face discrimination and inequality in their workplaces which affects them personally as well as on the safe delivery of care for people. This makes it more important than ever that professionals can practise in an environment that values diversity and tackles racism. As the professional regulator, we also have a responsibility to deliver fair outcomes and positive experiences for everyone on our register, regardless of their background or characteristics. This is something we are working towards through our Fitness to practise Improvement Plan 2024-2026 and our Culture Transformation Plan.

To strengthen our understanding of the challenges facing diaspora professionals, we created the Diaspora Registrant Associations Forum (DRAF) (previously called the International and Diaspora Nursing and Midwifery Associations (IDNMA) Forum). 

DRAF brings together colleagues from the NMC with representatives from the nursing and midwifery profession from the Diaspora. These are organisations that provide pastoral and wellbeing support to diaspora professionals, as well as raise awareness of issues that these professionals face while working in the UK.

Objectives

  • Ensure that the expertise, evidence, experience and knowledge of diaspora nurses, midwives and nursing associates informs and challenges all that the NMC does as we regulate, support and influence.
  •  Actively involve diaspora professionals in shaping and co-producing the NMC’s strategic work as it considers the future of nursing and midwifery regulation in the UK, guided by the NMC’s values of Integrity, Fairness, Respect, Equity and Effectiveness.
  • Enable the NMC and diaspora registrants to work together to develop strategic policy and operational decisions that help us support safe, effective and kind care for the public.
  • Ensure that emerging issues relating to the NMC’s work and the experiences of diaspora professionals are identified early and can be acted upon in a timely way.
  • Commit to evaluating the effectiveness of the forum annually to ensure it continues to achieve its purpose and adapt where necessary, in line with the NMC’s values and culture transformation commitments.

Meeting notes

Documents

DRAF Forum Terms of Reference

Read the Membership policy summary

[1] Internationally educated professionals are nurses, midwives and nursing associates on the NMC register who have received their professional education outside the UK.

[2] Diaspora professionals are nurses, midwives and nursing associates on the NMC register who have cultural ties to countries outside the UK – they may be internationally or domestically educated.

Find out more

If you have any questions about our Diaspora Registrant Associations Forum, please email external.affairs@nmc-uk.org.