National standards
There should be national training standards for qualification as a registered nurse to ensure that newly qualified nurses are competent to deliver a consistent standard of the fundamental aspects of compassionate care.
- The NMC published a revised Code of Professional Standards in March 2015, setting out the professional standards that all registered nurses and midwives must uphold, with "Prioritise people" as the first theme (The Code: Professional Standards of Practice and Behaviour for Nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates, NMC, March 2015).
- The NMC published new Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses in 2018, replacing the 2010 standards. The new standards are organised around seven platforms including "Being an accountable professional," "Promoting health and preventing ill health," and "Providing and evaluating care." All approved education institutions must ensure their programmes enable students to meet these proficiencies (Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses, NMC, 2018).
- All new pre-registration nursing programmes in the UK were required to align with the 2018 standards from September 2020, providing a single national framework for the education and assessment of newly qualified nurses (NMC Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Programmes, NMC, 2018).
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
Accepted in Part
Response
Accepted in PartThe government published "Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) on 19 November 2013, responding to all 290 recommendations of the Francis Report. This followed an initial response "Patients First and Foremost" in March 2013. Key reforms included a new Chief Inspector of Hospitals, strengthened Care Quality Commission inspection regime, a statutory duty of candour, and the fit and proper person test for NHS directors. Volume 2 (Cm 8754) contains the government's detailed responses to each of the 290 recommendations. See: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7cd486ed915d63cc65d167/34658_Cm_8777_Vol_1_accessible.pdf
Published Evidence
Published assessments of progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Source type badge indicates whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.
Research published 2023 marking ten years since the Francis Report found mixed results. Structural and legislative changes largely delivered (duty of candour, FPPR, CQC overhaul, revalidation, Freedom to Speak Up Guardians). However, cultural change not fully embedded; understaffing, fear of speaking up, and poor complaint handling persist in parts of the NHS.
NMC Revalidation launched 1 April 2016 in direct response to Francis Report. All nurses and midwives must revalidate every three years. Replaced the Post-Registration Education and Practice system. Updated NMC Code published March 2015 strengthened requirements around candour and raising concerns.
NMC published updated Code of Professional Standards for nurses and midwives (March 2015). Standard 14 specifically requires nurses and midwives to be open and candid with all service users about all aspects of care, including when mistakes or harm have occurred.
Government published "Culture Change in the NHS" (Cm 9009) reporting progress on all 290 recommendations. Key achievements: 19 hospitals placed in special measures; those trusts recruited 109 additional doctors and 1,805 additional nurses; 129 board-level changes made; excess avoidable deaths fell by 450 in less than a year.
Government published "Hard Truths: The Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) in two volumes. Vol 1 set out new actions; Vol 2 provided detailed response to each of the 290 recommendations. Approximately 204 of 290 recommendations were fully accepted.