The regulator has started an internal consultation around the proposed the removal of 145 posts from a total of around 1,400, and to restructure parts of the organisation. Around a third of the posts proposed to be removed are vacant, according to the NMC.
The NMC has frozen its registration fees over the past 10 years to protect registrants during the cost-of-living crisis and a period of high inflation. However, freezing the fees has reduced income in real terms by 28% over the past decade compared to what it would have been if we had increased the fee in line with inflation. By the end of this financial year, this will equate to £180m of lost revenue.
During that time, expenditure has increased, and the regulator has also committed additional expenditure to critical improvement programmes. These include the transformation of its culture, the improvement of Fitness to Practice (FtP), and a roadmap for reviewing education and standards.
The proposed reduction in roles and action taken to cut some non-staff costs by around £3.1m a year, would help the regulator to realise savings of £9.7m per annum into future years.
The NMC is also proposing to improve its structure, a proposed new Transformation and Technology Services Directorate will lead on all operational transformation, which includes building on the ongoing work to make FtP more efficient, ensure quality assurance across the whole process, reduce disparities and cut costs over time.
The NMC has launched a 60-day consultation period on the proposals, with an initial 30-day consultation with its recognised trade union, Unison.
The regulator said it is supporting staff through this difficult process and is committed to redeploying staff wherever possible.
Paul Rees, chief executive and registrar, said: ‘The nursing and midwifery professions need a strong and independent regulator to uphold high professional standards and protect the public. To achieve this, we must ensure our financial stability and modernise the NMC.
‘Along with this comes the need for changes to our organisational structure, and the difficult but necessary decision to propose a reduction in our headcount. This will enable us to make the savings we need heading into next year and beyond, as we continue to build the new NMC.
‘Importantly, all of our proposals are subject to consultation with our recognised trade union and staff. We want to deliver on change in the best way we can. This means minimising the impact on our hard-working, dedicated people as far as possible, while meeting the clear need to secure our finances and ensure we are fit for the future.'
In response, Unison head of health Helga Pile, said: ‘The scale of these redundancies is troubling. The NMC has faced significant internal challenges and staff had hoped for a period of stability and progress. Instead, they face further uncertainty. Employees continue to deliver a vital service to people required to register, but these cuts risk undermining service quality and staff morale.
‘The NMC's own poor financial planning has contributed to this situation, so there'll be understandable concern among health professionals about how their fees are being used. A commitment to limit the impact on professional regulation is welcome, but any reduction in roles will pile further pressure on those staff who remain. No one wants to see the backlogs worsen in fitness-to-practice cases or increase delays for those trying to clear their names.
‘NMC staff deserve clarity about their futures, and the union will work to minimise job losses and support those affected.'
