The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) has responded to the decision by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to move to a neutral position on assisted suicide.

The NMC recognises that assisted suicide is an important and emotive issue for healthcare professionals and for members of the public.

However, as the statutory regulator for nurses and midwives, the core purpose of the NMC is to safeguard the health and well-being of the public.

It is the NMC’s statutory duty to remind nurses and midwives that they must practice within their code of professional conduct (The Code ) and within the context of national laws. The law on assisted suicide has not changed.

Commenting on the RCN’s decision, NMC Chief Executive & Registrar, Kathy George, said: “Despite the RCN’s move to a neutral position on assisted suicide, nurses and midwives are personally accountable for their actions and must act lawfully at all times. This is clearly stated in their code of professional conduct. Assisting the suicide of a patient is against the law”.

Source
Nursing & Midwifery Council