NMC Register Becomes More Ethnically Diverse
The nursing and midwifery profession in the UK is experiencing heightened levels of diversity. The number of healthcare professionals from ethnic minority backgrounds joining the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register has significantly increased in the past year. This increase is good news for the profession, as promoting diversity ensures that the UK healthcare system is equipped to cater to the vast needs and preferences of patients from all ethnic backgrounds. This trend is likely to continue as the healthcare industry as a whole continues to focus on promoting diversity and inclusivity.
Reports from the NMC’s register tells us how many nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom (UK) and nursing associates in England are currently able to practise. They publish data from their register every six months. With more international professionals joining the register, and with UK joiners becoming more ethnically diverse, the ethnic profile of the NMC register is changing.
Their annual reports cover the 12 month period from April to March every year, but they also publish a mid-year report covering the six month period from April to September.
In the six month period from April to September 2022, the number of nurses, midwives and nursing associates on the NMC register grew by nearly two percent to a total of 771,445.
This growth is being driven in large part by the number of internationally educated joiners, which continues to rise at a much faster rate than UK joiners.
The number of nurses, midwives and nursing associates registered to practise in the UK has grown to a record total of 788,638.
2022-2023 saw the highest number of new joiners to the register in a single year, more than 52,000.
These include 27,142 new professionals educated in the UK and 25,006 professionals educated around the world, mainly outside Europe.
Just over 731,000 are nurses, nearly 42,000 are midwives, just over 9,300 are nursing associates and just over 6,500 are both nurses and midwives.
Between April 2022 and March 2023 the number of nurses, midwives and nursing associates on their register grew by just over 30,300.
There were a large number of people on the register who came from outside of Europe.
There are now over 136,000 people from outside Europe. That is just over 22,500 more than last year.
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It is an encouraging sign that the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register has become more ethnically diverse. Bearing in mind that nurses and midwives are the frontline change-makers within healthcare, it is more important than ever for them to be representative of the communities they serve. Patient outcomes will improve due to a greater sense of understanding, trustworthiness, and acceptance.
The NMC deserves enormous credit for their efforts in embracing diversity amongst health professionals as well as their commitment to ongoing improvement. With these developments in place, better health and wellbeing services can be provided on a wider scale to ensure everyone receives the care they deserve.
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