Retaining workforce vital says NHS Employers in response to data from NMC

Responding to the latest data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Caroline Waterfield, director of development and employment at NHS Employers, said:
   
“The new report from the NMC provides valuable data to strengthen our understanding of what is happening within the nursing and midwifery professions and inform current and future workforce supply and retention activity.

“There is a welcome rise in the numbers of nurses, midwives and nursing associates on the register, up 3.3 per cent to a record 853,707 in 2024/25. This growth - from a combination of both UK training and international recruitment - is critical to ensuring employers have access to vital nursing and midwifery expertise to help meet the current demand being experienced in all parts of the system.

“Critically, the data draws out that Black, Asian and ethnic minority professionals now account for just under a third of everyone on the register. We know from other reports and survey feedback that colleagues can have a worse staff experience than others. Alongside the NMC's commitment to addressing bias in their regulatory processes, which we see as essential, employers also have work to do to continue to improve the experience for all of our people.  

“In what are very challenging financial times for the sector, we know that to meet the existing demand, support waiting list reductions and improve patient experience we need to retain all of our existing talent, as well as continue to train the future generation of professionals via degree apprenticeships and university training. Continued support for training and retaining a future workforce will be essential in the implementation of the forthcoming ten-year health plan.”