Why Were 15 Banned Nurses Still Practicing in the UK?

By VirentaNews Staff — May 27, 2026

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the body responsible for regulating nurses and midwives in the UK, failed to ban approximately 15 healthcare professionals who were legally required to be struck off due to criminal convictions, allowing them to continue practicing for up to 12 years. This systemic failure, described by the NMC as “completely and utterly unacceptable,” occurred because the regulator did not consistently conduct criminal record checks on professionals already on the register. With patients potentially exposed to individuals who should have been barred from practice, the lapse raises serious concerns about public safety, regulatory oversight, and the integrity of the UK’s healthcare licensing system—especially at a time when trust in medical institutions is under scrutiny.

What Went Wrong With the Nursing and Midwifery Council?

The core failure stemmed from the NMC’s lack of a mandatory, ongoing process to verify the criminal records of registered nurses and midwives. While new applicants undergo background checks, the regulator did not have a systematic method to identify existing registrants who later committed serious offenses that warranted automatic removal. As a result, individuals convicted of crimes such as fraud, assault, or sexual misconduct remained on the register and continued to work in clinical settings without intervention. The NMC only discovered the oversight during an internal audit in 2025, which revealed that for over a decade, no routine cross-checks had been conducted with police databases or court records. These gaps in monitoring allowed professionals who no longer met the standards for practice to evade sanctions, undermining the council’s mandate to protect public welfare and maintain professional standards.

What Evidence Confirms the Regulatory Lapses?

According to a report published by The Guardian, the NMC confirmed that 15 individuals who should have been automatically removed due to criminal convictions remained on the register between 2014 and 2026. While the exact nature of the convictions has not been fully disclosed for privacy and legal reasons, the council acknowledged that some involved offenses directly related to patient safety. Internal documents show that the NMC relied on voluntary declarations from professionals or referrals from employers and law enforcement, rather than proactively monitoring court outcomes. This reactive approach left critical gaps. A 2023 review by the Professional Standards Authority, which oversees UK healthcare regulators, had previously flagged the NMC’s lack of robust systems for tracking criminal behavior, but no significant changes were implemented until after the audit revealed the extent of the failure.

Are There Alternative Views on the NMC’s Responsibility?

While the NMC has accepted full responsibility, some industry experts argue that the issue reflects broader structural challenges within UK healthcare regulation, not just a single body’s misstep. They note that the NMC oversees over 700,000 professionals, and implementing real-time criminal record monitoring across such a large workforce poses logistical and financial hurdles. Others suggest that the onus should also fall on employers, who are expected to conduct their own due diligence during hiring and ongoing employment. However, this argument is countered by the fact that many employers assume the NMC’s register is up to date and that being listed implies ongoing good standing. Critics also point out that other UK regulators, such as the General Medical Council for doctors, have implemented more robust systems for tracking criminal records, suggesting that the NMC’s failure was avoidable. The debate underscores a tension between organizational accountability and systemic constraints in public health governance.

What Are the Real-World Consequences of This Failure?

The most immediate impact is the potential exposure of patients to harm by professionals who lost their right to practice due to criminal behavior. Even if no direct incidents have been reported yet, the mere possibility erodes public confidence in healthcare safety. Families relying on midwives during childbirth or vulnerable patients under nursing care may now question the trustworthiness of the system. Beyond individual risk, the scandal has triggered calls for urgent reform. The Department of Health and Social Care has launched an independent review into the NMC’s processes, and parliamentary committees are demanding testimony from senior officials. There are also legal implications: some affected patients may pursue civil claims if they can demonstrate negligence, and the NMC could face sanctions from its own overseer, the Professional Standards Authority. The incident may also influence future policy on digital verification systems for professional licenses across all healthcare fields.

What This Means For You

If you or a loved one receives care from a nurse or midwife in the UK, this incident underscores the importance of verifying credentials and understanding that regulatory systems, while designed to protect you, are not infallible. The NMC has pledged to implement automated criminal record monitoring and improve transparency, but these changes will take time. In the meantime, patients can check the status of a professional’s registration online and report any concerns directly to the NMC or healthcare provider.

Going forward, the central question remains: how many other uncaught cases might still exist, and what long-term reforms are needed to ensure that public protection is not left to chance? As healthcare systems grow more complex, the mechanisms meant to safeguard trust must evolve just as rigorously.

Source: The Guardian