Modernising midwifery regulation Anne Wright, Chair of the Midwifery Committee Jon Billings, Director of Strategy

Why is change needed? There are two parts to the change recommended by the King’s Fund. These were accepted by the Council, and agreed by the Secretary of State: Ending the system of local investigation and sanction - ensuring the NMC is directly responsible for fitness to practise matters Removing the additional tier of regulation that applies to midwifery

What are we trying to achieve? The NMC: Public protection through proportionate and effective regulation of midwives Sector partners (DH, CNOs, RCM, LSAMO): A sustainable model of midwifery supervision outside the regulatory framework All: Clarity for service users; midwives, employers and educators

Distinct status of midwifery Separate status of midwifery is unaffected by these changes: Separate pre-registration standards Direct entry to separate part of register Protected title and function Midwifery standards of proficiency NMC also supports a separate register for midwives when future legislation allows

Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (the Order) Rules Article 44 Attendance on a woman in childbirth Protected function Rule 2 Attendance on a woman in childbirth Requirement to submit an ItP applies to midwives involved in antenatal, perinatal and postnatal care Attendance on a woman in childbirth us/policy/projects-were-involved-in/review- of-midwifery-regulation/

Future model of midwifery regulation Providing midwives with a description of their regulatory framework after the change in one clear document Mapping ‘before and after’ landscape: Pre-registration standards Code and standards Revalidation Fitness to practise

How we will get there Legislative change process is underway – provisional timings (subject to change): DH consultation on legislation in Spring 2016 Parliamentary process towards the end of 2016 Legislative change complete by Spring 2017

Communication and stakeholder engagement Key objectives: Explaining why change is necessary Affirming the continued distinct professional status and identity of midwifery – what stays Describing what midwifery regulation looks like in the future Signposting to what supervision will look like in the future

Midwifery ‘voice’ Midwifery Committee will continue to advise Council until legislation changes Midwifery Committee also focusing on pre- registration standards and embedding revalidation Proposals for future mechanism for obtaining midwifery advice by end of 2015 Suggested change to Council constitution to provide for mandatory inclusion of a midwife member

Next steps Work with LSAMOs to maintain current requirements Work with DH on legislation Develop proposals for future midwifery advice Plan for operational changes Maintain close links with key stakeholders Plan and deliver communication programme