The title 'nurse' will now be legally protected under a new law making it a crime to falsely claim to be a nurse without the proper qualifications or registration.
While there are already measures in place to deter people from falsely claiming to be a nurse, with the most serious cases covered by fraud, assault, grievous bodily harm or even manslaughter charges, the upcoming legislation aims to strengthen these protections.
Under the new law, rogue aesthetic practitioners, like those exposed in multiple ITV news investigations, could be fined thousands of pounds for falsely calling themselves nurses to carry out procedures like Botox, dermal fillers and laser treatments.
At present, only the term “registered nurse” is protected by law, meaning anyone – even those struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for serious misconduct or criminal convictions – can still legally call themselves a nurse.
The new law will make exceptions for roles where the title "nurse" is legitimately used, such as veterinary nurses, dental nurses and nursery nurses.
The government says it is acting in response to concerns from nurses, recognising their vital role in the NHS.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: "Nurses carry out lifesaving work every day, and I am determined we do everything we can to support them and safeguard trust in the profession.
"I’ve been appalled to read reports of so-called nurses spreading dangerous misinformation and harming the public.
"This new legislation will help crack down on bogus beauticians and conspiracy theorists masquerading as nurses, and those attempting to mislead patients.
"The British people hold nurses in the highest regard, and we trust them in our most vulnerable moments, so patients need to know they are genuinely being seen by a nurse. Now they will.
"This is part of our Plan for Change to fix the NHS and gets the right staff working in the right place at the right time."
Source: ITV News
This is a great move