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Midwife

Regulators
  • Nursing and Midwifery Council
Nations
United Kingdom
Sectors
  • Health and care

Regulatory or professional bodies

Primary regulator

Regulatory authority
Nursing and Midwifery Council
Address

23 Portland Place
London
W1B 1PZ

Email address
UKenquiries@nmc-uk.org
Phone number
+44 (0)207 333 9333

Regulation

Regulation summary

We are the independent regulator for nurses and midwives in the UK, and nursing associates in England. What we do is set out by legislation. Our main legislation is the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (‘the Order’); a series of orders made by the Privy Council and Rules made by our Council sit underneath the Order.

The Nursing & Midwifery Order ‘The Order’ requires that we establish standards of education, training, conduct and performance for nurses, midwives and nursing associates and to ensure the maintenance of those standards.

As the professional regulator of midwives, we support midwives to deliver safe and effective midwifery care through our regulatory processes.

Practising as a midwife in the UK outlines our approach to the regulation of midwives. It brings together in one place all of the information for midwives, women and families, and anyone else with an interest in midwifery in the UK.

The Future Midwife standards are our bespoke education and proficiency standards that set the foundations for midwives’ education. They establish what we expect a new midwife to know, understand and be capable of doing, at the start of their career.

Our standards sit alongside the Code, which outlines the standards of behaviour and conduct expected of professionals on our register, and our standards for revalidation, which promote lifelong learning.

Revalidation helps make sure midwives keep up to date, and continue to develop their midwifery knowledge and expertise, to maintain excellent standards of practice.

Regulation type

Licence

Reserved activities

NA

Protected titles

Midwifery is a protected function in the UK, meaning it's a criminal offence for any person other than a registered midwife, or a registered medical practitioner, to attend on a woman in childbirth (except in emergencies or when in training as a student midwife or medical student).

It's also a criminal offence for someone to falsely represent themselves as being on our register and use the protected title of ‘Midwife’, or falsely represent themselves as possessing midwifery qualifications.

More about regulated activities and titles
https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/governance/our-legal-framework/

Qualifications and experience

New professionals

Routes to qualification

All midwives working in the UK must be registered with us. Before registration, they must have successfully completed a midwifery programme of education that is approved by us. They must also meet our requirements of good health and good character.

In the UK midwifery education and training programmes are run only at our approved educational institutions (AEIs). Courses usually take a minimum of three years, although a registered level 1 (adult) nurse can undertake a reduced training course of 18 months, for dual registration with us.

Midwifery training takes place at an NMC-approved educational institutions, with half of the programme based in clinical practice with direct contact with women, their babies and families. This can include the home, community and hospitals, and in other maternity services such as midwife-led units and birth centres.

Professionals from outside the UK

Recognition for professionals outside the UK
Some - qualifications from some countries may be recognised, but professionals from other countries will have to re-qualify
Summary of routes

If you trained outside the UK and want to join our register, you'll need to join through our overseas registration process. We launched a new process in October 2019.

Please note that regulations passed by the UK Government following the UK's departure from the EU allow for certain EU general nursing and midwifery qualifications to be recognised. If you have a relevant European qualification that meets the requirements for automatic recognition, we’ll recognise your qualification and you won’t need to take the Test of Competence. This applies even if you are not an EU national, but you have a relevant European qualification. If you do not hold a relevant European qualification, you will need to take a Test of Competence as we cannot recognise your qualification.

More about recognition for professionals outside the UK
https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/joining-the-register/register-nurse-midwife/

Registration

Registration requirements

Once you begin your application you will need to provide us with relevant information regarding your qualification, your identity and pay the evaluation fee (£140).

Once we've confirmed your eligibility, we may ask you to complete a Test of Competence as well as completing your registration application. The total cost of fees and tests is £1,140 (including the evaluation fee of £140).

Once you are registered there is £120 a year registration fee.


Legislation

Title of relevant act or charter

The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (as amended)

Title of relevant act or charter

The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (as amended)

Licence Finder

You may need licences and permits to carry out certain activities in the UK. These are called authorisations. Use the licence finder to find what you need.