DiversitiQ and NMC research into how people raise concerns about nursing and midwifery care
DiversitiQ is conducting independent research commissioned by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to better understand how members of the public raise concerns about nursing and midwifery care.
The research explores the journeys people take when they have concerns about the care they or someone close to them has received — including whether they make a complaint, who they approach for support, how they find the right organisation, and the barriers that can prevent people from raising concerns.
As an independent research provider, DiversitiQ is speaking with people with different experiences of raising concerns, including people who approached the NMC and people who considered raising a concern but did not contact the NMC.
What is the Nursing and Midwifery Council research about?
The Nursing and Midwifery Council regulates nurses and midwives in the UK and nursing associates in England.
This research is focused on understanding the experiences that happen before someone reaches, or decides not to reach, the NMC.
When someone has concerns about nursing or midwifery care, it may not immediately be clear where they should go. Depending on the circumstances, people may encounter healthcare providers, employers, complaints teams, regulators, advocacy organisations or other services.
The research seeks to understand how people navigate those choices and what influences the decisions they make.
Why is DiversitiQ carrying out this research?
DiversitiQ was commissioned by the Nursing and Midwifery Council to carry out independent qualitative research with members of the public.
The purpose is to provide a deeper understanding of how people experience the process of raising concerns, including the experiences of people who do not ultimately make a complaint to the NMC.
This allows the research to consider not only what happens once somebody reaches a regulator, but also the decisions, barriers and experiences that may come before that point.
What is the research exploring?
The research considers areas including:
- how members of the public recognise concerns about nursing and midwifery care;
- how people decide whether to raise a concern or make a complaint;
- where people look for information, advice and support;
- awareness and understanding of the Nursing and Midwifery Council;
- accessibility of information and processes;
- what gives people confidence to take further action; and
- opportunities to improve information, communication and signposting.
Understanding why people may not raise concerns with the NMC
An important part of the research is understanding the experiences of people who did not contact the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Someone may have experienced or witnessed something that concerned them but contacted another organisation, raised the issue locally, decided not to take it further, or not realised that the NMC might be relevant to their situation.
Understanding these experiences can help identify barriers that may not be visible when research only considers people who successfully reached a particular complaints or regulatory process.
Independent research with members of the public
Our role is to listen to people's experiences, analyse themes across the research and provide evidence and recommendations to help build a clearer understanding of how members of the public navigate concerns about nursing and midwifery care.
Taking part in the research does not form part of an NMC complaint or fitness to practise case, and the research cannot influence the outcome of an individual case.
The focus is on learning from people's collective experiences.
Why does this research matter?
Raising a concern about healthcare can involve much more than completing a complaint form.
People first have to recognise that something may have gone wrong, decide whether they want to take action, understand their options, find the appropriate organisation and feel able to explain what has happened.
Those experiences can be influenced by factors including accessibility, confidence, trust, previous experiences, communication and people's understanding of the healthcare and regulatory system.
By hearing from people with different experiences, this research aims to identify common patterns, barriers and opportunities for improvement.
About DiversitiQ
DiversitiQ is an independent research and consultancy organisation specialising in inclusive research, lived experience, accessibility and understanding the experiences of diverse communities.
Our work helps organisations hear from people whose experiences may otherwise be overlooked and translate those insights into practical recommendations.
Find out more about the NMC research
DiversitiQ will update this page as the project develops.