NMC Council approves future midwife standards

4 October 2019

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has approved a new set of standards to fully prepare midwives of the future. The future midwife standards are based on the best current evidence, drawing on the quality framework and the definition of midwifery as set out in the Lancet Series on Midwifery, and on the definition of the midwife as set out by the International Confederation of Midwives – focusing on knowledgeable, skilled, kind and respectful care for all women, their babies and families.

Professor Mary Renfrew led the work on the new proficiency standards, working in partnership with midwives, student midwives, women, families and other health and care professionals across all four countries of the UK.

The first midwifery programmes based on the new standards will begin in September 2020 and the standards will be fully implemented by September 2021. The NMC Standards of proficiency for midwives have been informed by and mapped to the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative university standards.

Read more about the future midwife standards and process here

Read more about the Baby Friendly standards for Universities here