Struck Off the NMC Register: What It Means and How to Appeal
Removed From the NMC Register? Specialist Defence and Restoration Advice
Being struck off the NMC register is the most serious sanction the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) can impose, removing your name from the register so you can no longer work as a nurse or midwife in the UK, or as a nursing associate in England. If you are facing removal, or have already been struck off, the decisions you make now shape whether you can return to practise.
At Regulation Resolution, we are specialist regulatory defence solicitors, and the majority of our clients keep practising or achieve a better outcome than they feared. This guide explains what being struck off the NMC register means, the appeal routes and deadlines, how restoration works, and the wider consequences for your career.
What does being struck off the NMC register mean?
Being struck off the NMC register means a panel of the Fitness to Practise Committee has removed your name from the Nursing and Midwifery Council register. Once struck off, you cannot lawfully work as a nurse or midwife in the UK, or as a nursing associate in England, and your removal is recorded on the public register.
Striking off is reserved for the most serious cases, where the concerns are fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the register. A panel will only reach it after considering every lesser NMC sanction first. For a full picture of how a case reaches this stage, see our NMC hearings guide.
What are the NMC sanctions before striking off?
Before striking off the NMC register, a panel must consider each lesser sanction in turn and explain why it is not sufficient. The available NMC sanctions, from least to most serious, are set out below.
| NMC sanction | What it means | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| Caution order | You may keep practising without restriction, but a caution is recorded against your registration. | 1 to 5 years |
| Conditions of practice order | Restrictions or requirements are placed on your practice, such as supervision or retraining. | Up to 3 years, then reviewed |
| Suspension order | You cannot practise for a specified period; the order is reviewed before it expires. | Specified period, then reviewed |
| Striking-off order | Your name is removed from the register and you cannot practise in the UK. | Restoration possible after 5 years |
Durations reflect the NMC's published sanctions guidance. Because a panel must justify why nothing short of striking off will protect the public, strong representation at the hearing is critical.
Where can I find the NMC's list of nurses struck off the register?
The NMC publishes its fitness to practise outcomes, including strike-offs, through its official hearings and sanctions pages rather than a single downloadable "struck off nurses list". You can check any registrant's current status, including whether a striking-off order applies, by searching their name on the NMC's online register.
If you are researching your own case or a colleague's, always rely on the official NMC source rather than third-party lists, which are often incomplete or out of date. If you are the person affected, the more urgent question is usually how to challenge or recover from the decision, which we cover below.
How do I appeal being struck off the NMC register?
You can appeal a striking-off order to the High Court (or the Court of Session in Scotland) within 28 days of being notified of the decision. The striking-off order does not take effect until the appeal period ends, or until an appeal is finally determined, so seeking specialist legal advice immediately is essential.
An appeal focuses on errors of law, procedure or a decision that was wrong or unjust, rather than simply re-arguing the facts. If the appeal is not successful, the order takes effect on the date the appeal is dismissed. Given the strict 28-day deadline, our NMC defence solicitors should be contacted as soon as you receive the determination. A nurse, midwife or nursing associate has 28 days to appeal a final Fitness to Practise Committee decision, including a striking-off order, to the High Court (the Court of Session in Scotland, or the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland), under Articles 29(10) and 38 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001. The 28 days run from the day after the date on the letter notifying you of the outcome, and the court will only extend this deadline in exceptional circumstances.
How does restoration to the NMC register work?
If you have been struck off, you can only apply for restoration to the NMC register after five years from the date the striking-off order came into effect. Restoration is decided at a hearing before a Fitness to Practise Committee panel, which must be satisfied that you are safe and suitable to return to the register. The restoration process follows defined stages:
- Wait for the five-year period from the date the striking-off order took effect, or the date any appeal was dismissed.
- Complete and submit the NMC restoration application form, naming three referees.
- Provide information about what you have done since removal and your insight into what happened.
- Attend a restoration hearing in person, where the panel is bound by the findings of the original panel.
- Receive the panel's decision: refusal (no further application for one year), a grant subject to education or training, or a conditions of practice order of up to three years.
Because a restoration panel cannot revisit the original findings, your application must focus on remediation, insight and current fitness to practise. Preparing this evidence carefully makes a significant difference.
Struck off the NMC register: your questions answered
What does struck off the NMC register mean?
It means a Fitness to Practise Committee panel has removed your name from the Nursing and Midwifery Council register. You can no longer work as a nurse or midwife in the UK, or as a nursing associate in England, and the removal is recorded on the public register.
Can you be reinstated after being struck off the NMC register?
Yes, but only by applying for restoration after five years from the date the striking-off order took effect. A Fitness to Practise Committee panel decides restoration at a hearing and must be satisfied you are safe to return to practise.
How do I appeal an NMC striking-off order?
You can appeal to the High Court, or the Court of Session in Scotland, within 28 days of being notified. The order does not take effect until the appeal period ends or the appeal is determined, so take specialist advice immediately.
Is there a public list of nurses struck off the NMC register?
The NMC publishes fitness to practise outcomes through its official hearings pages and you can check any registrant's status on its online register. Rely on the official NMC source rather than third-party lists, which are often out of date.
How long after being struck off can I apply for restoration?
You must wait five years from the date the striking-off order came into effect. If you appealed unsuccessfully, that date is when the appeal was dismissed. A refused restoration application means waiting a further year before reapplying.
Does being struck off the NMC register affect my DBS status?
It can. Your removal is published, and the underlying conduct may lead to referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service, which can affect future roles in regulated activity. Specialist advice can address your NMC and DBS positions together.
Facing removal from the NMC register? Talk to us
Written by Jonathan Meadows, Solicitor and Managing Director. Reviewed July 2026.
We take a proactive, strategic approach to defending nurses, midwives and nursing associates facing removal from the NMC register. As specialist regulatory defence solicitors, we act at every stage, from the fitness to practise hearing through to appeal and restoration, and the majority of our clients keep practising or achieve a better outcome than they feared.
Being struck off can also affect your wider career: your removal is published, and the underlying conduct may lead to referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service. Our DBS solicitors can advise on any barring risk alongside your NMC matter.
Every case is different, so we build a tailored defence and restoration strategy around your circumstances - never a template.
Contact Regulation Resolution today for a confidential consultation and let us protect your registration, your reputation and your career.
Please call us now on 0208 088 5161 or complete our contact form here and we will be in touch to help you.