UK Nursing and Midwifery Council sets new EDI targets
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has introduced a series of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) targets to eliminate disparities and foster cultural change both in its regulatory work and among its staff. These targets, guided by research from the Ambitious for Change programme—including analysis by the University of Greenwich—include:
- By 2030, eradicate ethnicity and gender disparities in Fitness to Practise (FtP) processes by introducing de‑biasing measures, EDI training, and EDI-focused reviews of procedures and guidance.
- Also by 2030, halt disproportionate referrals from employers based on ethnicity, through employer surveys, bias checks, and sharing best practices.
- By 2035, eliminate ethnic attainment gaps in education and training, leveraging monitoring, updated EDI standards in academic institutions, and improvements in acceptance rates and student satisfaction.
- Immediately increase representation of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic staff in the top two pay quartiles through equitable recruitment, career development, and data transparency.
- Close ethnicity, gender, and other pay gaps by 2030 using these aligned initiatives.
To support implementation, the NMC has taken early steps including appointing two heads of EDI, expanding panel diversity, rolling out psychological safety training, and committing to the UNISON Anti‑Racism Charter. Acknowledging findings from Greenwich’s research—which noted bias in case handling of Black and male professionals but no bias in final decisions—the NMC has committed to embedding fairness, inclusion, and data-driven evaluation to evolve into an antiracist organisation and rebuild trust.