The inactive file was established in May 1993 as an administrative mechanism to facilitate nurses and midwives who were not in active practice, for reasons including retirement, working abroad or undertaking a career break. However, there is no legislative basis under either the Nurses Act, 1985 or the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 for the inactive file.

Following a public consultation in March 2017, the NMBI Board approved a proposal to disband the inactive file. The process to disband the inactive file was agreed by the Board in May 2018 and is set out below.

Process

• Commence communication with the professions advising that the inactive file will be disbanded in 2018 and that NMBI will place all persons currently on the inactive file on the active Register from November 2018.

• These persons will be invited to pay their Annual Retention Fee (ARF) in Q4 2018 should they wish to remain on the Register in 2019 as part of the bulk mailing process for ARF 2019.

• Affected persons can choose to pay the ARF and remain on the Register, voluntarily remove from the Register or be removed for non-payment of the ARF, as part of that process in Q1 2019.

• Affected persons will have time to consider their registration in the context of impending requirements for maintenance of professional competence, and criteria for restoration as fully registered nurses and midwives, currently under review by NMBI.

Following feedback from the consultation exercise, NMBI will consider a mechanism by which former registered nurses and midwives can continue to engage with the NMBI in a manner which is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation.