Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1997

7 The professional register

(1) The Central Council shall continue to maintain a register of qualified nurses, midwives and health visitors.

(2) The register shall be divided into such parts as the Secretary of State may by order determine, the parts being indicative of different qualifications and different kinds and standards of training, and in this Act references to parts of the register are to the parts so determined.

(3) The Council may by rules make provision—

(a) as to the documentary and other evidence to be produced, and the fees to be paid, by those applying for registration or for additional qualifications to be recorded, or for any entry in the register to be altered or restored;

(b) as to the keeping of the register and the means of obtaining access to, and copies of extracts from, the register;

(c) for a person’s registration to remain effective without limitation of time (subject to removal from the register for misconduct or otherwise) or to lapse after a specified period or in specified cases, or to be subject to renewal as and when provided by the rules.

(4) The Secretary of State may by order provide—

(a) for persons to be registered in one or more parts of the register by virtue of having been included in one or more of the registers, rolls or lists maintained under enactments repealed by the [1979 c. 36.] Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979, or having been certified under any of those enactments;

(b) for a specified part of the register to be closed, as from a date specified by the order, so that on or after that date no further persons can become registered in that part;

(c) for a specified part of the register to be sub-divided into two or more parts, or for two or more parts to be combined into one.

(5) The Secretary of State shall consult the Central Council before making, varying or revoking any order under this section.

(6) A certificate issued and duly authenticated by the Council stating that a person is, or was at any date, or is not, or was not at any date, registered shall be evidence in all courts of law of the fact stated in the certificate.

(7) In any enactment or instrument (past or future, and including this Act) “registered”, in relation to nurses, midwives and health visitors, means registered in the register maintained under this section by virtue of qualifications in nursing, midwifery or health visiting, as the case may be.

(8) Orders under subsection (2) may, by reference to the part or parts in which a person is registered, prescribe the more advanced qualifications which he must have in order to be treated as a qualified nurse for the purposes of any particular enactment or instrument.