NMC advice and an NMC warning are both outcomes case examiners can give when they decide there is no case to answer. Advice reminds you of the professional standards you must uphold. A warning is more serious: the NMC says that when case examiners issue a warning, the allegations and the outcome are published with your entry on the register. In 2024 to 2025, case examiners gave advice in 2 cases and warnings in 74.
Key takeaways
- Both follow a no case to answer decision; neither restricts your practice.
- Advice is a reminder of the standards you must uphold.
- A warning, with the allegations, is published with your register entry.
- Your decision letter is the place to check details such as how long it is shown.
After an NMC investigation, your case goes to two case examiners. The NMC says they work in pairs: one is a registered nurse or midwife and one is a lay person. Their decision letter can be hard to read when you are anxious, and the words advice and warning can sound almost the same. They are not. This article explains the difference using what the NMC itself publishes. It is general information, not legal advice.
What can NMC case examiners decide?
The NMC's guidance on available outcomes splits the decision in two. If the case examiners decide there is no case to answer, they can:
- give the nurse, midwife or nursing associate advice,
- issue a warning, or
- simply close the case.
If they decide there is a case to answer, they can recommend undertakings to be agreed with you, or refer the case to the Fitness to Practise Committee for a hearing or meeting.
So both advice and a warning come after a finding of no case to answer. Neither is a sanction imposed by a panel, and neither places conditions on your practice. Most people find that a real relief once they understand it.
What is NMC advice?
The NMC's annual fitness to practise report describes advice as a way to remind the nurse, midwife or nursing associate of the professional standards they must uphold. It is the lighter of the two outcomes. In practice it is rare: in 2024 to 2025, case examiners made 1,171 decisions at the end of an investigation and gave advice in just 2 of them.
What is an NMC warning?
A warning is a more formal outcome. It tells you the case examiners consider the concern serious enough to mark, even though they have found no case to answer. Warnings are more common than advice: 74 of the 1,171 case examiner decisions in 2024 to 2025 were warnings, about 6%. For comparison, 321 cases (27%) closed with no further action, 116 (10%) ended in undertakings and 658 (56%) were referred for a hearing or meeting.
Is an NMC warning published on the register?
Yes. The NMC's annual report says that when case examiners issue a warning or agree undertakings, the allegations and the outcome are published with the nurse, midwife or nursing associate's entry on the register. Anyone who checks your registration, including a future employer, may see it.
The same report lists the outcomes it publishes, and advice is not among them. It also says that when the NMC closes a case with no further action it does not normally publish information. If you are unsure what will appear for your own case, ask the NMC or your representative and get the answer in writing.
How long does a warning stay on my record?
We have not stated a time period here because the official sources we rely on for this article do not give one. Your decision letter should explain what will be published and for how long. If it does not, ask your case holder, and ask your union or solicitor to check it with you.
Can a warning or advice decision be reviewed?
The NMC has the power to review case examiners' decisions, including advice, warnings and undertakings, and its annual report says anyone can request a review. Reviews happen in two stages: first the NMC decides whether to carry out a review, then it either upholds the original decision or decides a new one is needed. In 2024 to 2025 it received 24 requests. Remember that a review is not one-way. A fresh decision could be different in either direction, so take advice before asking for one.
What changed from 1 October 2026?
New fitness to practise rules came into force on 1 October 2026. Before case examiners give advice, issue a warning, decide there is a case to answer, or refer the case on, they must now be satisfied that the Registrar has sent you the information and documents gathered in the investigation, given you 28 days to make representations in response, and told you they can decide without your representations once that period ends. The Registrar can extend the 28 days. In plain terms: read everything you are sent, and if you need more time, ask before the deadline.
For the bigger picture of what changed, read NMC fitness to practise rule changes, October 2026, and for how case examiners reach their decision, see NMC case examiners' decisions.
What should I do if I have been given a warning?
- Read the decision carefully and note exactly what the warning says the concern was.
- Check how your register entry will look, so you can prepare for questions from employers.
- If you are applying for jobs, be ready to explain the warning calmly and briefly, and what you learned.
- Keep the reflective piece and strengthened practice evidence you prepared for the case. They show your insight if questions come up later.
Many people feel two things at once after a warning: relief that the case has closed, and shame that something is visible on the register. Both are normal. A warning is not a finding that you are unfit to practise, and it does not stop you working.
If the outcome has knocked your confidence, demonstrating insight and our Rebuilding Confidence course can help you move forward.
When to get legal advice
If you are thinking about asking for a review, or you are unsure what will be published, speak to your union (RCN, RCM, Unison or Unite), your indemnity provider or a regulatory solicitor first. For emotional support at any hour, the free and confidential NMC Careline is on 0800 587 7396. Fit 2 Practise does not give legal advice; our mentorship offers support from people who have been through FtP.
Frequently asked questions
No. A warning follows a decision that there is no case to answer. It does not suspend you or place conditions on your practice. It is, however, published with your register entry along with the allegations, so employers who check the register may see it.
The NMC's annual report lists warnings and undertakings among the case examiner outcomes it publishes with the register entry, but advice is not on that list. If you have received advice and are unsure what will appear, ask the NMC to confirm in writing.
They follow different findings. A warning comes after no case to answer. Undertakings come after a case to answer and involve steps you agree to take to return to safe practice. Both are published with the register entry, according to the NMC.
Check your contract and the NMC Code, and take advice. The NMC says it is likely that employment contracts will require you to promptly tell your employer about issues that call your fitness to practise into question. Because a warning is visible on the register, being open about it is usually the safer course.
