The NMC received 6,539 new concerns in 2024–25, up 13.2% and equal to 0.77% of the 853,707 people on its register. 72% of screening decisions closed the case without investigation. Panels made 647 final decisions, including 289 striking-off orders. 68.4% of cases concluded within 15 months, against an 80% target. Most people referred are not removed from the register.
Key takeaways
- Concerns are rising: 6,539 in 2024–25, against 5,774 the year before and 5,068 the year before that.
- Most cases end early. 72% of screening decisions closed the case without investigation.
- Of 1,171 case examiner decisions, 44% did not lead to a hearing (our calculation).
- Striking-off made up 45% of final panel decisions, but that is about 1 in 3,000 registrants (our calculation).
Every year the NMC publishes an Annual Fitness to Practise Report. It is the most reliable picture of what happens to referrals, but it is long and written for a wide audience. This page pulls out the figures that matter most if you have a case, and explains each one in plain English. All figures come from the NMC's own published reports, and the source is given under every table. This is general information, not legal advice.
How many concerns does the NMC receive each year?
| Year | New concerns | Share of the register |
|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 6,539 | 0.77% |
| 2023–24 | 5,774 | 0.69% |
| 2022–23 | 5,068 | 0.64% |
Source: NMC Annual Fitness to Practise Report 2024–2025, Table 1
Concerns rose by 13.2% in 2024–25. The register also grew, to 853,707 nurses, midwives and nursing associates at 31 March 2025, so the share of professionals with a new concern rose more gently, from 0.69% to 0.77%. Put simply, the great majority of people on the register had no new concern raised that year.
The rise has continued. The NMC's Annual Report and Accounts 2025–26 says it received 7,152 new concerns in 2025–26, a 9.4% increase on 2024–25. If you have been referred, you are far from alone, and a growing caseload is one reason the process can feel slow.
Who refers nurses and midwives to the NMC?
| Referrer | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Patient or member of the public | 2,252 | 34% |
| Employer | 1,984 | 30% |
| Another professional on the register | 652 | 10% |
| Self-referral | 521 | 8% |
| Referrer unknown | 485 | 7% |
| Any other informant | 393 | 6% |
| Opened by the NMC | 232 | 4% |
| Other regulator | 20 | <1% |
| Total | 6,539 | 100% |
Source: NMC Annual Fitness to Practise Report 2024–2025, Table 1
Patients and the public raise the most concerns, followed closely by employers. This matters because concerns from different sources often look very different. A public concern may be about a single interaction, while an employer referral usually follows a local investigation. Self-referrals, at 8%, are people telling the NMC themselves, for example about a charge or caution.
How many NMC referrals are closed at screening?
Screening is the first stage. In 2024–25, 72% of screening decisions closed the case without investigation, which meant 5,074 concerns were not investigated. That figure includes 1,594 cases where no registrant could be identified, or where the concern could never amount to a serious concern.
For someone with a case, this is the most reassuring number in the report. A referral is the start of a process, not a finding. What you send at screening, including the context, your reflection and any steps you have taken to strengthen your practice, can help the NMC decide that you are currently fit to practise.
How many interim orders does the NMC impose?
| Year | Total | Interim conditions | Interim suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 691 | 373 (54%) | 318 (46%) |
| 2023–24 | 622 | 337 | 285 |
| 2022–23 | 688 | 364 | 324 |
Source: NMC Annual Fitness to Practise Report 2024–2025, Table 3
An interim order is a temporary restriction while a case is investigated. It is not a finding that the concern is true. In 2024–25 there were 691, which is about 1 interim order for every 10 new concerns (our calculation). Slightly more were interim conditions, which let you keep working with restrictions, than interim suspensions.
The NMC aims to impose interim orders within 28 days of opening a case where one is needed. In 2024–25 it managed this in 65.8% of cases, against a target of 80% (67% the year before).
What do NMC case examiners decide?
| Decision | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Refer for a hearing or meeting | 658 | 56% |
| No further action | 321 | 27% |
| Undertakings | 116 | 10% |
| Warning | 74 | 6% |
| Advice | 2 | <1% |
| Total | 1,171 | 100% |
Source: NMC Annual Fitness to Practise Report 2024–2025, Table 5
Case examiners decide what happens after an investigation. Just over half of their decisions in 2024–25 referred the case to a panel. The other 513, or 44%, did not lead to a hearing (our calculation): they ended with no further action, agreed undertakings, a warning or advice. Case examiners made 1,171 decisions in 2024–25, compared with 1,588 in 2023–24 and 1,210 in 2022–23.
For more on the options at this stage, see NMC case examiners' decisions and NMC warning or advice: what is the difference?
What sanctions do NMC panels impose?
| Outcome | 2024–25 | 2023–24 | 2022–23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Striking-off | 289 (45%) | 214 (35%) | 191 (35%) |
| Suspension | 156 (24%) | 158 (25%) | 155 (28%) |
| Conditions of practice | 60 (9%) | 85 (14%) | 65 (12%) |
| Caution | 21 (3%) | 31 (5%) | 31 (6%) |
| Facts not proved | 27 (4%) | 38 (6%) | 41 (7%) |
| Fitness to practise not impaired | 94 (15%) | 94 (15%) | 67 (12%) |
| Proceedings stayed | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 647 | 620 | 553 |
Source: NMC Annual Fitness to Practise Report 2024–2025, Table 7
This table only covers cases that reached a final hearing or meeting, which is a small and more serious group. Within that group, striking-off rose to 45% of decisions in 2024–25. Of the 289 striking-off orders, 278 were for nurses, 10 for midwives and 1 for a nursing associate. Across the whole register, that is about 1 striking-off order for every 3,000 registrants (our calculation).
It is also worth noticing that in 2024–25, 94 panel outcomes found fitness to practise not impaired and 27 found the facts not proved. Reaching a hearing does not mean a sanction is certain, and how you engage, the insight you show and the evidence of strengthened practice you bring all matter.
Our guide to NMC sanctions explains what each outcome means, and how many nurses are struck off? looks at striking-off in more detail.
What allegations are most often found proved?
In 2024–25 the allegations most often found proved by panels were about patient care (19%), prescribing and medicines management (15%) and record keeping (13%). These are everyday areas of clinical practice, which is a reminder that most cases involve ordinary people working under pressure, not deliberate wrongdoing.
How long does an NMC investigation take?
The NMC's target is to conclude 80% of cases within 15 months. In 2024–25 it concluded 68.4% of cases within 15 months, up from 61% the year before. The NMC's Annual Report and Accounts 2025–26 reports a further improvement to 73.9% in 2025–26. Even so, some cases still take longer than 15 months, so it helps to plan for a long process and to look after yourself along the way.
See how long does an NMC investigation take? for what affects the timescale at each stage.
What other figures are in the report?
- Agreed removal: 221 applications were made in 2024–25 and 105 were granted.
- Appeals: 34 appeals were lodged against panel decisions.
- Restoration: 40 applications to return to the register were received, 20 were accepted and 10 were rejected.
- Careline: the NMC's confidential support line took 1,047 calls in 2024–25, up from 735 in 2023–24 (NMC Annual Report and Accounts 2024–25).
What do these numbers mean for my case?
Statistics describe thousands of cases, not yours. They cannot predict your outcome, but they can put the fear in proportion. Most referrals close at screening. Many cases that are investigated end without a hearing. Even at a hearing, a meaningful share of outcomes are no impairment or facts not proved.
The things you can influence are the same at every stage: engage with the process, get advice early, reflect honestly and show how your practice has been strengthened. If you are struggling, the NMC Careline offers free, confidential support on 0800 587 7396, and using it will not affect your case.
How we'll keep this updated
We will update this page when the NMC publishes its next Annual Fitness to Practise Report, and we note the date of the last review at the top of the page. Where we have done a calculation ourselves, we label it as our calculation so you can tell it apart from the NMC's published figures.
Frequently asked questions
The NMC received 6,539 new concerns in 2024–25, about 0.77% of the 853,707 people on its register. Its Annual Report and Accounts 2025–26 reports 7,152 new concerns in 2025–26.
In 2024–25, 72% of screening decisions closed the case without investigation. That meant 5,074 concerns were not investigated.
NMC panels made 289 striking-off orders in 2024–25: 278 nurses, 10 midwives and 1 nursing associate. That was 45% of the 647 final panel decisions.
In 2024–25, 658 of 1,171 case examiner decisions (56%) referred the case for a hearing or meeting. The rest ended with no further action, undertakings, a warning or advice.
From the NMC Annual Fitness to Practise Report 2024–2025 and the NMC Annual Report and Accounts for 2024–25 and 2025–26. Figures we have worked out ourselves are labelled as our calculation.
