A new report has said that the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is letting patients down because it is not delivering on its duty to protect the patients.

All the 670,000 nurses and midwives in the UK are required t register with the NMC to be able to work. The new report has shown the backlog of complaints against nurses and midwives with the regulator. The council has apologized for the report that showed substantial failings on its part.

Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) have conducted a review of the council and found that NMC had an annual staff turnover rate of 31 per cent. It was found that a total of 4,500 cases were awaiting decision by the regulator and out of which about 1000 cases have not been allotted a hearing date.

CHRE chief executive Harry Cayton said the council "has been under-investing in fitness-to-practise cases, relative to the number it receives and their complexity. The public have been let down. It doesn't mean nursing is unsafe - but the public, nurses and midwives ought to feel confident in the regulator. They haven't been able to."

Mr. Cayton also said that the delays in cases increases risks as staff might be unfit to serve. The NMC is carrying out its duties but not as per the standard or quality that is expected by the public.