power to restrict a nurse or midwife's practice or strike them off their register. The NMC produced guidance for nurses and midwives on raising concerns which aims to help them take action in the public interest when needed. It includes information on legislation that offers protection to whistleblowers and information on organisations nurses and midwives can go to for further advice. Helene Donnelly, ambassador for cultural change at Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership NHS Trust, spoke to NMC Council about raising concerns and gave her support to the guidance. Legislation Changes to healthcare regulation On 2 April 2014, the Law Commission published its draft bill, Regulation of Health and Social Care Professionals. The bill aims "to aim to sweep away the out-dated and inflexible decision-making processes associated with the current legislation." The bill would give healthcare regulators in the UK more autonomy. The NMC's Chief Executive and Registrar Jackie Smith welcomed the publication of the draft bill, but stated how the NMC needs the bill to become law quickly if it is able to modernise and become an efficient regulator. In its current legislative framework, the NMC spends nearly 80% of its income of fitness to practise hearings. Affecting regulation of professionals within the EU The revised Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (MRPQ) Directive, which came into effect 19 January 2016, will bring in a number of changes that aim to further facilitate the free movement of professionals within the EU, including amendments to language controls. The changes will enable the NMC to ensure, on a case-by-case basis, that a nurse or midwife from the EU has sufficient knowledge and command of English to practise safely and effectively. Criticism Accusations of bullying and racism On 11 March 2008 two Members of Parliament Jim Devine and John Smith made accusations in the House of Commons of bullying and racism within the NMC. The accusations have been denied by the NMC. The government set up an independent inquiry asking the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence and the Charity Commission to investigate. The NMC have been accused of nepotism by its members, Nursing Standard, letters-2017. Due to senior members of the NMC also being the instigating officer in cases against nurses, belonging to the same NHS Trust. In one instance a nurse was struck off for a data issue; whereas another nurse witnessed assaulting patients was only suspended for one year. (BFNHST, 2017). Panorama