Changes in how Nurses and Midwives Renew Professional Registration

Re: Changes in how Nurses and Midwives Renew Professional Registration: The Introduction of Nurse and Midwifery Revalidation

As you are aware, currently nurses have to re-register every year with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), and every third year has to self-declare their fitness to practice. Employers, peers and members of the public can check if registrants are on the 'live' register (http://www.nmc-uk.org/search-the-register/).

Revalidation will replace the post-registration education and practice (PREP) standards. Revalidation aims to improve upon the PREP system by setting new requirements for nurses and midwives.

From January 1st 2016, all Nurses and Midwives on the NMC register will be required to Revalidate every 3 years as part of their confirmation as being fit to practice. This includes Practice Nurses and Registered Nurses working in General Practice who will need to ensure they are prepared for this new process, which builds upon their existing requirements to confirm their fitness to practice. The key areas that the applicant has to demonstrate are that they have:

• Practised for 450 hours in the last three years

• Adhered to 40 hours of continuing professional development (not just lone learning such

as e-learning)

• Demonstrated how they are using practice related feedback from a variety of sources, including patients, to improve their standards of care (Five pieces of practice-related feedback, Five reflections and discussion, Health and character declaration

• Have Professional indemnity arrangement in place.

• Confirmation from a third party

Employers will need to ensure that employed nurses and midwives have available the following opportunities to support revalidation;

• Support in undertaking the required continuous professional development

• Peer to peer review

• Fit for purpose appraisals

• Support in gaining feedback on their clinical practice.

Local support for the implementation of Revalidation Page 1 of 3 High quality care for all, now and for future generations

All Registered Nurses in the employment of General Practices will shortly be receiving the new NMC Code of Conduct (http://www.nmc-uk.org/Documents/NMC-Publications/revised-new- NMC-Code.pdf) and they will be required to revalidate against this new code.

Nationally there are pilots testing the model and these will inform the NMC implementation programme. The NMC website holds provisional pilot guidance on how to revalidate, guidance for confirmers and revalidations templates available for download (www.nmc-uk.org/Nurses- and-midwives/Revalidation/Revalidation-Pilots/).

We have established a sub-regional implementation group to support local discussions and to act as the conduit for sharing information and risks. CCG Chief Nurses will be your link to this.

We have written to all General Practices across the Cheshire & Merseyside geographical area to advise Contract holders to start thinking about revalidation and the new code and make sure this is part of practice discussions. In the appendix we have attached a reminder about the responsibilities of contract holders in line with CQC and GP contract requirements.

We will provide key information to all General Practices as it becomes available via the GP Newsletter. The NMC website also holds a FAQ section and is being updated regularly for up to date information (www.nmc-uk.org).

Thank you for taking the time to read this rather lengthy communication but we hope you have found it useful. I would be happy for myself or a colleague to attend the LMC meetings to answer any questions or concerns if you would find this useful. However if there are any urgent concerns please contact Michelle Creed, Deputy Director of Nursing & Quality, NHS England (Cheshire & merseyside) at Michelle.Creed@nhs.net

Tina Long Director of Nursing & Quality NHS England (Cheshire & Merseyside)

and

Kieran Murphy Medical Director NHS England (Cheshire & Merseyside)