The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has reminded employers of nurses and midwives of their “vital role” when it comes to protecting the public and making referrals as quickly as possible if there is any risk to public health.
To this end, the NMC has revised its advice and information for employers on this issue.
The move was prompted by results of cases in which employers had misunderstood their responsibility to refer quickly, said the NMC, with the revised advice specifically encouraging employers to refer a nurse or midwife at an early stage in very serious cases, even before they had conducted an internal investigation.
This would allow the NMC to consider issuing an interim suspension until the case had been thoroughly investigated, it added.
The revised publication included more detailed information about existing responsibilities of employers to check references, identity and competence, it said.
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