Why we screen cases

We screen cases to assess whether a case is for us or not. Screening cases helps us to identify risk, then understand how serious it is and think about whether regulation is the right way to address it.

First we check if the concern is about a nurse or midwife on our register. Then we check if the case could raise questions about their registration with us, or their fitness to practise as a registered professional.

If the case is for us, we need to decide, quickly, the seriousness of a case, and whether an interim order should be put in place.

We use thresholds to help us make these decisions.

This also ensures that we focus our resources on the right cases, where employers can't manage the risk effectively.

If regulatory action is required, we need to make sure we are proportionate and apply only the right amount of regulatory force to achieve our desired outcome of public protection.

Find out about the different stages of our screening process and more.