Fitness to practise: 16 die by suicide while under investigation

The impact that ongoing delays in the FtP process are having on registrants was discussed this week at a meeting of the NMC’s governing council.

“We offer our sincerest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of anyone who has died by suicide”

Helen Herniman

NMC secretary, Matthew Hayday, told council members that the regulator knew of 16 nurses and midwives who had died by suicide since 2018.

The highest number was in 2023-24, when five nurses and midwives died by suicide during the FtP process.

However, organisations representing nurses and midwives who are undergoing an FtP investigation have said they believed this number was higher.

Last week, campaigning organisation NMC Watch said it had known of 27 nurses and midwives who had died prior to the conclusion of their FtP hearing.

Meanwhile, peer-led support group Equality 4 Black Nurses recently told Nursing Times that it believed the figure was higher, due to the amount of support the group was giving to nurses who were having suicidal thoughts.

Concerns around the NMC’s ability to tackle its FtP caseload are not new, having been raised for several years by campaigning groups as well as the super regulator, the Professional Standards Authority.

However, FtP was brought into the spotlight again recently following the publication of a review into the NMC’s culture, published by former chief crown proesctuor Nazir Afzal and Rise Associates.

Among many other damning findings, the review found that the NMC was taking too long for FtP decisions to be taken, and that delays were having a serious impact on registrants who had been referred.

A further report into the NMC’s handling of FtP cases is expected to be published by Ijeoma Omambala KC in November.

During the council meeting, NMC leaders were asked whether they had made direct contact with the families and loved ones of the registrants who had died by suicide, to offer condolences or compensation.

In response, Helen Herniman, acting chief executive and registrar of the NMC, said: “We offer our sincerest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of anyone who has died by suicide while under or having concluded a fitness to practise investigation.”

Ms Herniman said the regulator would engage with any coroner inquests that take place and would seek to identify any learnings from the findings, to see how the NMC could improve its processes.

She added: “We will respond to any concerns or issues raised with us by individuals or organisations, and we’ll take those concerns very seriously.

“We’ll also engage with appropriate individuals and organisations who wish to raise specific concerns or issues including where somebody wishes to bring a claim for compensation.”

During the meeting, the NMC provided a wider update on its FtP caseload, and work being done to tackle the backlog.

As of 30 June, the NMC’s FtP caseload stood at 6,059 – up 51 cases from May.

According to the NMC’s most recent council papers, the regulator received 491 referrals in June, up slightly from May when it was 485.

It noted that May and June’s referrals were much lower than those seen between January and April.

In addition, it said the NMC closed its oldest case at screening in May.

Earlier this year, the regulator signed off a record £30m investment in FtP, as part of an 18-month plan to gradually reduce the delays in closing cases, and to reduce the pressure on decision makers.

Areas of focus identified by the NMC included improving support for employers and the public with the FtP process, expanding the NMC’s screening team and introducing a new case-management system for decision makers.

Executive director of professional regulation, Lesley Maslen, told the NMC council that her team was “particularly focused on improving timeliness at screening”.

However, she noted that the impact of the culture review had “meant that things have slowed down a bit in recent weeks”.

“We have been really keen that people have been given the time to read the report, talk about the report, have team meetings and seek whatever support they need,” she said.

She added that the NMC could expect to see improvements at screening from September onwards.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling to cope and need someone to talk to, Samaritans offers 24-hour support – call 116 123. Alternatively, email jo@samaritans.org for a less-immediate response.