NMC fitness to practise caseload drops by 14% in a year

In its annual FtP report, the NMC revealed that it reduced its caseload from 6,469 cases on 31 March 2022, to 5,577 cases at the end of March 2023.

While this was short of its yearly target to have a caseload of 5,000 by March 2023, it represents a decrease of 14% and is the first continuing decrease in the caseload since 2019.

The report also revealed that the NMC received 5,068 new concerns in 2022-23, compared to 5,291 the previous year – a 4% drop.

This showed that, despite the growing size of the nursing and midwifery register, a smaller proportion of registered professions were being referred to the NMC.

Meanwhile the report also showed that the regulator received a decreased number of concerns raised by members of the public, while employer concerns slightly increased.

However, the NMC has consistently not met the Professional Standards Authority’s standard of good regulation for timeliness of case progression since 2019, warned the report.

While it should be completing 80% of cases within 15 months of receiving concerns, in 2022-23 the NMC was completing just 61%.

The NMC has committed to reducing its FtP caseload to 4,000 by 2024, after failing to meet the same target at the end of 2023.

The latest FtP report described reducing the FtP caseload as “a number one corporate priority” as the NMC enters the fourth year of its 2020-25 strategy.

The report comes as, over the last financial year, the NMC had revised its approach to tackling the caseload by focusing on “a smaller number of more impactful initiatives”.

The most significant change which helped to reduce the caseload was introducing more decision makers at the initial screening stage of FtP.

Employing more decision makers saw the screening caseload reduce by 33% over the course of the year – from 3,469 in March 2022 to 2,341 in March 2023, said the report.

Meanwhile the NMC also launched a new referrals helpline, aimed at providing support to members of the public who were considering raising a concern with the regulator.

The latest report revealed that between January and March 2023, the NMC received an average 359 calls a month to the helpline.

However, it added that the NMC “needed to do more to publicise the existence and purpose of the helpline”, by revising its FtP referral form to encourage more people to call the helpline.

It also noted that FtP referrals still disproportionately affected certain groups of professionals on the register.

In a report published by the NMC in August 2022, the NMC found that professionals who were male, transgender, bisexual or Black were among those who were more likely to be referred to FtP compared to others.

In addition, those who identify as male, disabled or Black, or those who prefer not to disclose their sexual orientation progress further through FtP processes compared to other groups.

The latest report said the NMC undertook several actions this financial year to tackle these disparities, including introducing a mandatory refresher for its staff on equality, diversity and inclusion training which included a focus on discrimination.

The regulator also updated its FtP guidance, which now clarifies that the NMC should look into concerns that relate to discrimination, whether they took place inside or outside of the professional context.

Lesley Maslen, NMC Executive Director of Professional Regulation, told Nursing Times that there was still “lots for [the NMC] to do”.

She said: “In 2023–24 we’ll continue with our determination, supported by a range of initiatives, to reduce the caseload safely and swiftly.

“These include strengthening our key casework processes, trialling and piloting new ways of working and improving timeliness across the board.

“Fairness and consistency in our work is key to maintaining public confidence, and we’re committed to ensuring this happens.”