The government has launched a call for evidence on protecting the title ‘nurse’ in law, while recognising that established roles such as dental nurse may need exemptions.
Dental nurse is already a protected title under the Dentists Act 1984, and dental nurses must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) to use it. However, the government is now considering wider protection for the title ‘nurse’, raising questions over how exemptions for regulated roles such as dental nurse should be written.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) opened the 10-week call for evidence that will close at 11:59pm on 8 October 2026.
The government wants to make it a criminal offence for someone who is not registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to call themselves a nurse.
Currently, the title ‘registered nurse’ is protected in law, but the wider title ‘nurse’ is not. The government said this could mislead patients and the public if someone uses the title without being qualified, registered or entitled to present themselves in that way.
Future protection
However, the call for evidence acknowledges that the word is already used in several established professional titles, including dental nurse.
The government said it does not intend to criminalise legitimate uses of the word ‘nurse’ in these contexts. It said any future protection is likely to require carefully defined exemptions where the title is well established, the role is distinct from NMC registrants and there is limited risk of public confusion or harm.
While dental nurses are already regulated dental care professionals, the profession is still encouraged to respond to ensure the title is clearly protected from unintended consequences.
The government is seeking views from individuals, employers, regulators, professional bodies, trade unions and other sectors where ‘nurse’ is used as part of a professional title. Responses must be submitted through the online survey.
Follow Dentistry.co.uk on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
