Equity, diversity and inclusion to be spotlighted in NMC Code and revalidation reviews

Those advising the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC’s) reviews into the Code and revalidation will consider the role of these policies in promoting cultural competency, anti-racism and inclusivity.

The nursing regulator said its advisory groups, established to get professional and public input, will be prioritising equity, diversity and inclusion as part of its Code and revalidation process reviews.

Discussions will include the role of the Code and revalidation in raising awareness of EDI issues, how to make the process more accessible, and how the NMC can support professionals to uphold EDI and tackle inequalities.

Professor Donna O’Boyle, acting executive director of professional practice, said: ‘There is a clear call for more to be done to root out racism and other forms of discrimination in health and social care.

‘As an anti-racist regulator, we have a duty to ensure our regulatory tools can help professionals to challenge these unacceptable behaviours and foster equity, diversity and inclusion in practice.’

She noted that feedback sought from its surveys, engagement and wider research were a ‘vital part’ of the reviews, and will be ‘considered before we propose any changes’.

‘The health and social care landscape is rapidly evolving. We must future-proof our standards to ensure professionals can continue to deliver the safe, high quality and compassionate care that people and communities will expect,’ added Professor O’Boyle.

Two of the three advisory groups – the Student and Recently Registered Advisory Group and the Breadth of Practice Advisory Group – will be involved in discussions on how ‘stronger, clearer language on EDI’ could be embedded in the Code.

They will also discuss how the Code and revalidation can play a part in ‘promoting cultural competency, anti-racism and unconscious bias awareness, and inclusivity’.

The regulator has also asked the groups to consider how to make the revalidation process as accessible as possible, including for internationally educated professionals and professionals with disabilities.

Previously, discussions have explored how the Code and revalidation process can support professionals to uphold EDI and tackle persistent health inequalities.

This comes after 40% of respondents to the NMC’s recent survey of nursing and midwifery professionals said they had experienced discrimination in the past year.

In October last year, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) revealed that an advice line for nursing staff had seen a ‘shocking surge’ in complaints of racism at work, with a 55% rise in incidents reported in the last three years.

Following this, England’s chief nursing officer (CNO), Duncan Burton, condemned racist intimidation of nurses and urged the workforce to ‘stand together’ to ensure all staff and patients feel safe and respected.

The NMC plans to continue engagement with professionals, the public and stakeholders before consulting in September.