Royal College of Nursing responds to registration figures from the Nursing and Midwifery Council
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today commented on the figures for numbers of registered nursing and midwifery professionals issued by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). This data is for the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020.
Dame Donna Kinnair, RCN Chief Executive and General Secretary, said:
“We celebrate the diversity of our global profession and numbers are slowly moving in the right direction. But UK Government needs to do everything within its gift to help our existing workforce and ensure that nursing is attractive, well-paid, and meaningfully supported. This is how to equip NHS and care services to help keep patients safe.
“The NMC’s data shows that too often people quit nursing because of the level of pressure, making shortages even more acute. It’s tough going to work every day when there aren’t enough of you and there is seemingly little light at the end of the tunnel. Breaking this cycle through investment in domestic supply and action is about both patient safety and the health of our workers.
“Ministers should pay close attention to fixing our existing gaps but also what is right around the corner. Many of our professionals are in the later stages of their career - a third on the register are over 50. These are extremely experienced nurses, who also support new nurses as they choose to join us. There is every reason to aim for oversupply to boost our profession and keep patients safe.”
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