The NMC has extended its temporary register to support the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines across the UK, it was announced yesterday.
Nurses and midwifery professionals whose registration lapsed between 1 March 2020 and 30 November 2020 are now able to join the temporary register.
The register was open to people whose registrations had lapsed between 1 March 2015 and 29 February 2020 when it launched earlier this year, as well as overseas candidates who had completed all parts of their NMC registration except the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE).
NMC chief executive Andrea Sutcliffe said the temporary register has now been extended to allow professionals who have ‘only very recently left the permanent register’ to help with delivering the Covid-19 vaccine programme and as winter pressures increase.
She continued: ‘We are encouraging them to re-join the permanent register if that’s possible, or we are enabling them to join our temporary emergency register instead so they can practise in the short-term.’
The temporary register was launched for nurses and midwives who retired from practice up to five years ago to join the frontline against Covid-19. It will end when the health secretary decides the emergency situation has ended.
The NMC has also said that now OSCE test centres have reopened, overseas candidates will no longer be invited onto the Covid-19 temporary register but be supported to gain permanent registration.
Ms Sutcliffe added: ‘As the Covid-19 vaccine programme begins and winter pressures increase, I’d like to thank all our permanent and temporary registered nursing and midwifery professionals working across the UK.’
‘As we look to the future, we’ll continue to work closely with all our partners in health and social care across the four countries so we can help to ensure our nursing and midwifery professionals are properly supported and public safety is protected.’
Professionals who left the permanent register after 30 November 2020 will need to apply for readmission instead.
