If you manage or employ nurses, midwives, or nursing associates, the revalidation changes approved by the NMC Council on 21 July 2026 will directly affect you. Line managers are now the default confirmers, the feedback form is becoming mandatory, and the reflective discussion is getting more structured.
This guide is written for you: the employers, line managers, and HR leads who will be supporting staff through revalidation over the next two years and beyond.
The optional feedback template is becoming mandatory. This is a significant change. Under the current system, confirmers complete a template that asks whether the professional has met revalidation requirements and whether there are any concerns about their fitness to practise.
The new form shifts the focus. Instead of a compliance checklist, it centres on what the professional learned and how they improved their practice. Nursing Times reports the NMC wants a "mandatory form that focuses on what professionals learned and how they improved their practice."
Source: NMC official news release, 21 July 2026 and Nursing Times
The confirmation discussion is not a tick-box exercise. It is a professional conversation about the registrant's practice, development, and reflections. Under the new proposals, this discussion becomes even more important because the feedback form will ask about learning and improvement.
Here is a practical framework for the discussion:
Before the meeting. Ask the registrant to share their portfolio, reflective accounts, and CPD log in advance. Review them before the discussion. This is not something you should do in the meeting itself.
During the meeting. Focus on three areas: what they learned from their CPD, how they applied that learning in practice, and what they will do differently going forward. Use their reflective accounts as a starting point for the conversation.
After the meeting. Complete the feedback form promptly while the discussion is fresh. Be specific about examples of improvement you discussed.
The revalidation changes are expected from April 2028. Between now and then, here is what you can do to prepare:
Encourage your teams to use Revalidation Copilot for consistent CPD and reflection tracking across your organisation.
Free for individual use. Bulk team onboarding available. Learn more at revalidationaicopilot.co.uk
NMC-validated content. This article is based on official NMC publications published July 2026. All factual claims are sourced directly from NMC publications or independently verified. Sources listed above.
Revalidation Copilot is produced by Beemal Innovation Ltd. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.