After years of rapid growth, the number of nurses and midwives working in the UK is down by almost a third.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council has said, however, that the number on its list of those who are able to practice in the UK is a record 853 707. This represents around 2% the UK’s working-age population.
While 28,789 registered members left (up 6%), only 52,833 were added (down 11.9%). The number of nurses increased by 3%, to 788 074, the number of midwives rose by 5.6%, to 46 606, and the number nursing associates grew by 17.5%, to 12,782.
Black, Asian, and ethnic minorities professionals made up 32.5% at the end March of this year, compared with 30.6% one year ago.
After years of rapid growth, the number of international professionals joining the NMC register has slowed down significantly. Since 2018-2019, the number international educated professionals who joined the NMC registry has been steadily increasing except during the pandemic. In 2023-2024 49.4% new members will be international educated.
According to NMC’s Annual Data Report, in the year up to March 2025 the number of foreign joiners will drop by almost a third.
The slowdown in international recruiting was felt across the board. Over the last year, the number of new recruits from India, the Philippines, and Nigeria has fallen by 36.7% each.
NMC stated that visa changes may have been a factor, but it also noticed an increase in international professionals who were looking to relocate to other countries. This could be because they are earning more. The NMC also stated that there is now a greater focus on hiring people locally via the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
The number of international professionals who left the register has increased by 33.3%, from 3 959 in 2023-2024 up to 5 276 last year.
The number of UK educated professionals who join the register between 2024-2025 has slowed. The number of new registrants reached 32,163, an increase of 5.9%. However, this growth rate has been halved compared to the previous year when UK registrants grew by 119%.
The accompanying study on why people leave their profession shows that retirement is the most common reason, followed by physical or mental health.
This is the main reason given by 13% of respondents for the second consecutive year. 70% said that their role negatively affected their physical health and 85% said it worsened mental health.
One in five (19.9% of those who graduated) would recommend a nursing or midwifery career.
Paul Rees said, “We have seen a decrease in the number of international nurses and midwives who join our register. This is a major shift from the past few years, and it’s likely that there are a number of reasons behind this.
“Even after this change, the register continues to grow – and is becoming more diverse. This is a great strength. We must also ensure that everyone is able to work in a multicultural environment and combat racism.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council is responsible for being fair to all those on its register, regardless of their background. We’ll be setting new, bold targets soon to eliminate bias in our regulatory processes.
Caroline Waterfield of NHS Employers’ Director of Development and Employment, has welcomed the addition to the NMC Register.
She added: “This growth is crucial to ensure employers have access vital nursing and midwifery skills to help meet current demand in all areas of the system.
“It is important to note that the data shows that Black, Asian, and Ethnic Minority professionals account for less than a third of all those on the register. Other reports and feedback from surveys have shown that some colleagues may experience a poorer staff experience. We believe that employers must also do their part to improve employee experience.
In these challenging economic times, we must retain our current talent and continue to train future generations of professionals through degree apprenticeships and higher education. In order to implement the 10-year plan, it will be crucial that we continue to support training and retain a future workforce.
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