The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has launched a public consultation on proposed changes to its education standards. These proposed changes are based on engagement with the NMC’s partners and stakeholders about what they want to see in the updated education and training standards.
It follows research and engagement throughout 2024 and 2025 with students, professionals, approved education institutions (AEIs), practice learning partners (PLP), the public and stakeholders. This research found that while many students benefit from positive placements, the quality of experiences can vary.
In 2025, alone, the NMC held 25 engagement events, including roundtables and webinars, which were attended by 1,250 people from across the UK, including students and professionals working in practice and higher education.
The proposed changes are influenced by issues emerging in the practice learning landscape, such as the mixed experience of nursing students on practice learning placements and the concerns raised by some student midwives about gaining the confidence and competency they need for practice.
And they include the thought-provoking proposals – based on feedback from the regulator’s stakeholders – to reduce the number of learning hours in nursing programmes, and to extend the length of midwifery programmes.
For nursing programmes, the proposal is to reduce the minimum number of programme hours from 4,600 to 3,600 – to place a greater emphasis on the quality of practice learning experiences rather than the achievement of a set number of practice learning hours.
Globally, there is significant variation in the number of learning hours required to become a registered nurse. The current requirement of 4,600 hours stems back to EU legislation which no longer applies to the UK.
Outside of the EU, there is significant variation in the number of nursing programme hours and within this, the number of practice hours. They are generally lower than the hours mandated by the EU directive – 4,600 in total, of which 2,300 are practice learning. For example in the USA, students are required to complete around 700 hours of practice learning, 800 hours in Australia and 1,100 hours in New Zealand.
Reducing the minimum requirement for practice learning hours would give approved education institutions (AEIs) the opportunity to design more innovative and creative programmes – with a lower minimum to meet, the emphasis could shift more clearly towards the quality of learning rather than the quantity of hours.
The midwifery proposal is to extend programmes from three to four years – against the backdrop of high-profile inquiries into maternity care across the four nations of the UK, which have investigated concerns about the safety, quality and culture of maternity and neonatal services.
There is also growing evidence that maternity outcomes and experiences vary greatly for women and mothers. Figures released by MBRRACE-UK show that Black women are three times more likely, and Asian women are 1.3 times more likely, to die during pregnancy or postnatally than White women. The figures also show that Black babies are over twice as likely to be stillborn as White babies – with Asian babies 50% more likely to be stillborn.
Since introducing its Standards for pre-registration midwifery programmes in 2019, the NMC has heard feedback about the challenges students can face in meeting all requirements within a three-year programme. This includes concerns about whether students have sufficient time to gain exposure to a wide range of practice scenarios – including caring for women and mothers from diverse backgrounds.
The regulator’s engagement with stakeholders has highlighted that, for many students, the current length of midwifery programmes results in task-oriented learning – rather than enabling students to have quality practice learning placements which prioritise holistic care for a diverse range of women, newborn infants and their families.
Extending midwifery programmes would therefore allow more time for students to achieve the proficiencies set out in the NMC’s standards.
Other areas for consultation include:
- Strengthening anti-racism, bias awareness and cultural curiosity, safety and respect in nursing and midwifery education and training
- If pre-registration nursing programme hours are reduced, requiring pre-registration nursing associate programmes to be a minimum of 2,300 hours – not 50% of the nursing programme hours as set out in the current standard, and
- Ensuring that all nursing students have at least one community practice learning experience in health or social care.
The consultation is open to everyone – whether they are a nursing or midwifery professional, student, educator, AEI, PLP, member of the public, stakeholder, or someone involved in the wider health and social care sector.
Comments can be submitted via an online survey – the NMC recommends reading the consultation document first. The consultation closes on 23 July.
Read more about the consultation and share your views