Update: this timetable supersedes the September to December 2026 consultation window we covered in what to know about the September consultation.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council has changed its consultation plans. The revalidation consultation will no longer run alongside the Code consultation this year. It has been separated out and pushed back by at least six months.
The NMC's own words on its future standards page: "The revalidation consultation will be separated from the Code consultation and delayed by at least six months."
| Element | Previous plan | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Code consultation | September to December 2026 | Launches by the end of November 2026 |
| Revalidation consultation | Ran alongside the Code consultation | Separated, delayed by at least six months |
The NMC gave a specific reason for the delay. "This will allow us to consider stakeholder feedback and any relevant recommendations from independent inquiries before we consult," the regulator says on its future standards page.
The original plan was a single consultation window from September to December 2026 covering both the Code and revalidation. That plan is gone. The two consultations now follow separate tracks, and the revalidation one starts no earlier than the second half of 2027.
Nothing about revalidation has changed yet. The current requirements remain fully in force. You still complete your three-yearly revalidation exactly as you did at your last revalidation date.
That matters because the July 2026 proposals attracted a lot of attention. Enhanced confirmer responsibilities, new verification arrangements, and changes to how supporting information is assessed were all on the table. Those proposals are now provisional drafts, not rules. Nothing in them applies until the NMC consults, finalises its proposals, and gets Council approval.
The new Code will follow the same path. The Code consultation launching by the end of November is a consultation, not a change. Your professional standards today are the ones published in 2018, updated since.
The delay is practical good news. It gives you a longer, predictable runway under the current rules. If your revalidation date falls in the next 18 months, you can plan your hours, CPD, and reflective accounts against the requirements you already know.
It also gives the NMC more time to get the proposals right. The stated reason, considering stakeholder feedback and recommendations from independent inquiries, suggests the final revalidation framework may look different from the July draft. Preparing hard against draft proposals now could mean wasted effort later.
Keep doing what works: log your practice hours as you go, record CPD against the current standards, and write reflective accounts close to the events they describe. Steady habits beat last-minute scrambles, whatever the final rules look like.
Revalidation Copilot tracks all of this for you, under the current requirements, and updates as the NMC finalises anything new. Download it free if you want your hours and evidence in one place.
The Code consultation opens by the end of November 2026. Watch for it on the NMC's consultations page. Respond to it if you have views on the new Code. Consultation responses genuinely shape the final standards.
The revalidation consultation follows at least six months later. When the NMC publishes its final proposals, we will break down exactly what changes and what does not.
This article is for information only. It is based on the NMC's published timetable as of 5 October 2026. Sources: NMC future standards page and NMC news release. Always confirm current requirements on nmc.org.uk. This article is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NMC.
Revalidation Copilot keeps your hours, CPD, and reflections in one place, under the current NMC requirements, and updates when the rules change.
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