FtP communication will have ‘more human approach’ under new pilot

A new pilot will see the introduction of ‘more individualised’ and ‘empathetic’ communication and support given to nurses referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The nursing regulator said it wanted to test embedding ‘a more human approach’ to its fitness to practise (FtP) communication process in the hope of improving its initial interactions with people.

The ‘First Contact’ pilot will see registrants given an initial email that does not reference FtP but lets them know that the NMC has correspondence to share and would like to discuss it with them first. A phone call would then be arranged at a convenient time for the registrant.

During the call, the registrant would be told by the NMC that there is a referral but will not be given details about the concern itself.

‘Instead, the conversation is about understanding any support needs, such as reasonable adjustments, or communication preferences like calling before sending documents,’ the NMC explained.

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The regulator will also use the call to establish whether the registrant has representation from a union or representative body.

‘The NMC wants to ensure that registrants know that advice is available and they don’t have to go through the process alone,’ it said.

Phone calls will then be followed in writing in an email to ‘ensure clarity about what was discussed’ and remind registrants of support services and the importance of representation. At this point ‘specific details’ about the concern will be provided.

Currently, outside of the pilot, an email is sent to a registrant to inform them about a referral.

But the NMC said it recognised that this could be seen when no one is available to support the registrant.

‘From registrant feedback, it is clear that they would value better communication than this,’ it added.

The regulator hopes the pilot will:

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• Increase direct, personal interactions with registrants
• Reduce and remove the barriers registrants face when engaging with the NMC by understanding a registrant’s communication and support needs from the outset
• Provide clear resources and signposting so registrants can fully engage in the process and access independent support easily
• Support faster and fairer outcomes by reducing barriers, signposting and ensuring supportive engagement

The NMC will evaluate the pilot using feedback from registrants and representative bodies to help shape its future approach.

Lesley Maslen, NMC executive director of professional regulation, said: ‘It’s fundamental that fitness to practise is a person-centred process.

‘We’ve listened to registrants’ feedback about how it feels to find out they’ve been referred – which is why our new pilot is designed to improve our initial interactions with people.

‘We’re focusing on understanding individual needs and signposting to support – so people feel informed, respected and able to take part.’

According to Ms Maslen, those who have representation and ‘actively engage in reflection and take steps to strengthen their practice are less likely to receive restrictions on their practice’.

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Last week the NMC was given the green light to consult on a series of proposed operational changes to its FtP processes.

The regulator is looking to obtain powers to appoint ‘legally qualified’ chairs to its FtP committee panels as well as several technical changes to how the FtP process is run – including giving shorter notice of hearings and the ability to send information to registrants online.

It said the proposed changes intended to help ‘improve our processes to be faster and fairer for everyone involved’.