NMC response to 'The state of medical education and practice in the UK' report

Commenting on the General Medical Council’s (GMC) report, 'The state of medical education and practice in the UK', Andrea Sutcliffe CBE, Chief Executive and Registrar at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), said:

“Registered health and care professionals are achieving extraordinary things in the face of an extraordinary challenge. But that can take a toll on people.

“The GMC’s report mirrors our own findings: workplace pressures are impacting peoples’ health and wellbeing. This pressure was seen before the pandemic, but Covid-19 has made it much more acute.

“We need to tackle these pressures head-on to ensure all health and care professionals feel valued, respected and properly supported. If we don’t, we run the risk of losing them at a time when we need them like never before.

“The report also highlights some reasons to be optimistic: the pandemic has brought teams closer together and improved the way knowledge is shared between professions. It’s good to see references in the report welcoming the enhanced role of nurses.  Health and social care is at its best when people work collaboratively in organisations that support them.

“We welcome the GMC’s call for a renewed and continued focus on making workplace cultures inclusive and compassionate. We look forward to continuing our work with the GMC and other partners to make a difference in the way health and care professionals are managed, supported and regulated to achieve this aim.”

Several organisations have developed resources to support the mental wellbeing of those working in health or social care – we’ve listed some of these on our website.

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