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This resolution was passed by voting members at Congress 2024.

There is significant variation in the quality and quantity of continuing professional development (CPD) for nursing staff in the UK. Revalidation requires individuals to undertake 35 hours of CPD every three years and for accurate records to be kept (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2021). Activities which can be counted as CPD include mandatory training, attending conferences, peer review activities, coaching and mentoring. 

Nursing staff have continually raised concerns about access to CPD, as well as the lack of parity with the approach taken for medical staff. As the workforce crisis has grown across the UK, nursing staff find it challenging to get approval to take time to undertake CPD. This leads to challenges for individuals when revalidating and can pose risks for patient safety and staff morale. Lack of access to development opportunities can make it difficult to obtain a promotion or progress towards career goals.

A 2017 RCN survey showed significant numbers of nursing staff were unable to complete their mandatory training (England 14.8%, Northern Ireland 24.7%, Scotland 27.8%, Wales 35.2%) (RCN, 2018). In 2019, an independent evaluation by Ipsos Mori showed nearly half (44%) of nurses and midwives found it difficult to find time for CPD (Ipsos Mori, 2019). There is little information about the quality of CPD undertaken or the impact on the professional and wider service. The NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) report in 2021 highlighted that staff from minority backgrounds are also less likely to receive additional training or CPD, further hampering access to more senior roles (NHS England, 2022).

In the majority of the UK there is a commitment to ‘support’ CPD, however in Scotland’s safe staffing legislation - the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 – there is a duty on health boards to give staff time and resources for relevant training. In addition, RCN Scotland secured a commitment to protected time for learning as part of the Agenda for Change reforms agreed in the 2023/24 NHS Scotland pay deal. Implemented from 1 April 2024, it requires NHS health boards to ensure protected time for statutory, mandatory and profession-specific learning.

Across the UK there is no consistency in the responsibilities the contract holders of commissioned services have to provide CPD. This may mean that staff in some sectors have a different CPD offer compared to their colleagues. Despite this, the NMC is clear that employers have a responsibility to support their staff to meet these requirements, even where there is not protected time.

The reading list for this debate is available .

References

Ipsos MORI (2019) Evaluation of Revalidation for Nurses and Midwives. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/evaluation-revalidation-nurses-and-midwives-final-evaluation-report

NHS England (2022) NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard: 2021 data analysis report for NHS Trusts. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/workforce-race-equality-standard-2021/

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2021) Continuing professional development. Available at: https://www.nmc.org.uk/revalidation/requirements/cpd/

ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ (2018) Investing in a Safe and Effective Workforce - Continuing professional development for nurses in the UK. Available at: /Professional-Development/publications/pdf-007028

ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ (2024) Agenda for Change review’s recommendations to be fully implemented. Available at: /news-and-events/news/implementation-of-afc-review-recommendations-010324

Scottish Government (2019) Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-and-care-staffing-scotland-act-2019-overview/