Register check
Check a nurse's NMC PIN
Every nurse, midwife, and nursing associate practising in the UK must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and has a unique PIN. You can check a nurse two ways: search MedicWatch's archive below, then verify the current position on the NMC's own register.
Searches MedicWatch's archive of UK nurses, midwives, and nursing associates and published regulator decisions. Try a surname or an NMC PIN.
Verify on the official register
MedicWatch is an independent archive. The NMC’s own register is the canonical, up-to-date record.
Search the NMC registerWhat is an NMC PIN?
An NMC PIN is an 8-character reference the Nursing and Midwifery Council gives to every nurse, midwife, and nursing associate registered to practise in the UK. It follows a fixed pattern: two digits (the year of registration), one letter, four digits, one letter — for example, 01A2345N.
You can usually find a nurse's PIN on their name badge or on official correspondence, or by asking them directly. By law, a nurse must give you their PIN on request.
How to check the NMC register yourself
- Go to the NMC's online register (link above) and enter the nurse's name or PIN. Searching by PIN is more reliable, because names can repeat.
- Check the registration status line on their entry to see whether they are currently registered to practise.
- Check whether the entry shows any fitness-to-practise notes, such as conditions of practice, a caution, or a suspension, and read the linked determination for the regulator's own account.
What the different statuses mean
The NMC register shows one of the following statuses for each nurse, midwife, or nursing associate:
- Registered — the nurse can currently practise in the UK
- Suspended — a fitness-to-practise decision has paused the nurse's registration for a fixed period
- Conditions of practice — the nurse can continue working, but only within specific restrictions set by the regulator
- Caution — a formal note on the register recording that the regulator considered conduct or practice to have fallen below expected standards
- Struck off — the nurse has been removed from the register and cannot practise
Frequently asked questions
What is an NMC PIN?
An NMC PIN is an 8-character reference the Nursing and Midwifery Council gives to every nurse, midwife, and nursing associate registered to practise in the UK. It's unique to that person and is used to identify them on the register.
What does it mean if a nurse has no MedicWatch entry?
MedicWatch indexes publicly published register entries and regulator decisions. No public regulatory determinations found for a practitioner means exactly that — check the NMC register for the current registration position.
Does appearing on MedicWatch mean a nurse did something wrong?
No. The NMC publishes a range of outcomes, including cases where no further action was taken. Each profile states what the NMC found, with a link to the source document.