NMC to Introduce New Quality Reviews for Nursing and Midwifery Education Across the UK 

The quality of nursing education plays an important role in preparing future nurses to deliver safe and effective patient care. In the UK, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is now taking steps to change how it checks whether approved nursing and midwifery programmes meet the required standards. Announced on 1 October 2026, the changes will give the regulator a more active role in assessing education quality and identifying areas that may need improvement. 

The decision follows concerns raised by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), which oversees healthcare regulators in the UK. Its review highlighted the NMC’s reliance on information reported by education providers themselves when assessing the quality of their programmes. The revised approach aims to address this limitation by giving the regulator a broader view of how educational standards are maintained in practice. 

Under the new arrangements, the NMC will introduce two forms of monitoring. The first will involve thematic reviews, which examine a particular issue across selected nursing and midwifery education programmes. Rather than focusing on one institution at a time, these reviews will help the regulator identify how a specific aspect of education is being addressed across different providers. The first review will examine how equity, diversity and inclusion are incorporated into education, with work scheduled to begin by the end of 2026. 

The second measure will look more closely at the institutions responsible for delivering approved programmes. Through institution-wide monitoring, the NMC will assess the quality assurance arrangements of Approved Education Institutions (AEIs) across all their NMC-approved programmes. This is expected to begin in early 2027, allowing the regulator to examine how each institution maintains education standards across its provision, rather than considering programmes only in isolation. 

The NMC will work with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) to carry out the reviews, with independent visitors leading quality assurance visits alongside an NMC observer. The regulator will also introduce graded monitoring outcomes in place of the previous system, which classified individual requirements as either met or not met. This will allow assessments to provide a more detailed picture of performance, helping distinguish good practice from areas requiring attention. Where improvements are necessary, the NMC will agree corrective measures and timelines with the institution concerned. 

These changes are intended to strengthen confidence in nursing and midwifery education and help ensure that students are prepared to provide safe, equitable care. For nurses and prospective students following developments in the UK, the announcement offers insight into how education providers will be assessed in the coming years. However, it concerns the monitoring of education quality and does not introduce a new international registration route or change the existing registration requirements for overseas-qualified nurses. 

Sources: 
 
https://www.nmc.org.uk/news/news-and-updates/nmc-to-take-more-proactive-approach-to-education-quality-assurance/