The timeline for introducing regulation of advanced practice nursing and midwifery roles has been delayed once again.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) today announced that it was “rephasing” its programme of work on advanced practice.
“The QNI is disappointed to see that the work on standards for advanced practice is being delayed for a substantial period of time”
Crystal Oldman
As part of its new schedule, the NMC said it would put out draft advanced practice standards for consultation in the first quarter of the 2027-28 financial year.
The NMC had originally planned to consult on these standards in January 2025, but the deadline has been pushed back several times.
The latest delay means the consultation is due to take place more than two years later than first promised.
Meanwhile, the NMC said it would be taking its new “principles for advanced practice” to its next council meeting on 26 March.
This is in line with the revised schedule it produced at the end of last year, but is still a delay from the previous deadline of November 2024.
The advanced practice nursing community has responded with concern to the delays.
Among those worried is the Association of Advanced Practice Educators UK (AAPE UK), which represents higher education institutions involved in training advanced practice nurses and other advanced clinical practitioners.
A spokesperson for AAPE UK told Nursing Times: “AAPE UK note the NMC’s decision to rephase the advanced practice work, which is of concern to AAPE UK, and we will respond to the NMC directly.”
Dr Crystal Oldman, chief executive of the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI), expressed disappointment at the delay.
“The QNI is disappointed to see that the work on standards for advanced practice is being delayed for a substantial period of time,” she told Nursing Times.
However, she recognised that such work took a “significant amount of time and resource” and that the NMC was also navigating internal challenges that could be affecting progress.
The NMC has been under scrutiny since autumn 2023 after issues came to light about its workplace culture and handling of internal whistleblowing complaints.
A subsequent independent review described the NMC as a “hotbed of bullying, racism and toxic behaviour”, leading to the regulator embarking on a programme of change to try and improve.
The backlog of fitness-to-practise cases is another pressing issue that the NMC is currently working urgently to address.
Dr Oldman added: “We will continue to work as a partner with the NMC and support their work in developing the standards for advanced practice in the future in every way we can.”
New NMC Code
The NMC has also announced timelines for other major reforms.
It said it would be starting work in 2025-26 to create a “modernised” NMC Code and revalidation process.
The aim is for the new code and revalidation process to come into effect in October 2027, although the programme is still awaiting approval by the NMC Council.
The updated code is likely to include new information for registrants on areas such as equality, diversity and inclusion, artificial intelligence, behaviour outside of professional practice and use of social media, said the NMC.
Meanwhile, it said the revalidation review would “draw on our learning from nine years of the current revalidation model, from independent inquiries and from whistleblowing investigations”.
The reviews of the code and revalidation will both factor in requirements for advanced practitioners, in anticipation of future regulation of this group.
At the same time, the NMC is progressing into the next phase of its review of practice learning requirements, as previously reported.
Nursing Times asked the NMC for a comment on the delay and whether the unexplained departure of Sam Foster, who was previously overseeing the advanced practice work in her role of executive director of professional practice but was no longer in post as of January 2025, had contributed to the rescheduling.
In response, Anne Trotter, assistant director for education and standards at the NMC, said the regulator was “re-sequencing” its work to accommodate the four big reviews it is undertaking, covering advanced practice, the NMC Code, revalidation and practice learning.
“All four areas of work, including the review into advanced practice, are essential to ensuring safe, high-quality care for people who use services,” she said.
“We have re-sequenced our work to ensure we can progress all four areas effectively over the next two to three years, and will continue to engage with our stakeholders on these priorities.
“Our Principles for Advanced Practice will be presented at our next public council meeting in March 2025.
“We will also consider requirements for advanced practitioners as part of the code and revalidation reviews which are taking place in 2025-2026, and then will move onto drafting standards of proficiency and programme standards.”
The NMC did not address the question about Ms Foster.
