The NMC, General Practitioners Committee and the RCGP have come together in a joint initiative to raise awareness among GPs that as employers they are accountable for regularly checking the registration status and qualifications of nurses.
GPs who do not carry out the required checks could face contract sanctions, and nurses may be liable for prosecution if they claim to be registered when they are not.
Interim Chair of the NMC Professor Judith Ellis said: ‘As the regulator for the UK’s 670,000 nurses and midwives, it is the NMC’s duty to ensure the health and wellbeing of patients and the public. Midwives and nurses cannot legally practise in the UK unless they are registered with the NMC. A nurse practising without registration puts themselves and their patients at risk.’
The NMC has a free employer confirmation service, which enables GPs to check a nurse’s current registration status and details. To find out more about the service, visit:
www.nmc-uk.org/employer-confirmations 
