Nurses and midwives must ensure that they renew their registration with the NMC before its expiry date, as they may be removed from the register if they fail to do so under new rules.
From November, nurses and midwives must provide documentation and pay their annual fee by midnight on the date of their registration’s expiration, or face being removed from the NMC register. Previously, there had been a short administrative window of several days for registrants to renew their place on the NMC register after their registration had expired.
Alison Sansome, NMC director of registration, said: “In preparation for the introduction of payment by instalment in spring 2016, we are urging nurses and midwives to take care to maintain their registration. From November this year there will be no opportunity for registrants to submit their documentation or pay their fee after their registration expiry date. Going forward from then, they must have renewed (and retained) registration before their due date or their registration will lapse.’
The NMC and RCN are urging nurses and midwives to be aware of the changes, as failure to renew and allowing registration to lapse can leave staff unable to work. This is a legal requirement for nurses and midwives to be registered by the NMC in order to practice.
Tom Sandford, acting RCN director of nursing and service delivery, added: “It is important all nurses and midwives maintain their NMC registration otherwise they risk losing out on pay while the administrative process to register again takes place.'