MP Dawn Butler is to introduce a bill that would make it illegal for individuals to call themselves a ‘nurse’ unless registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). This follows earlier campaigns and a Nursing Standard investigation in summer 2024, which found 93% of NHS trusts have non-registered staff who have ‘nurse’ in their job titles. There have long been concerns that  such use of the title poses risks to patient safety, undermines the nursing professioon and is confusing for the public. Research shows there are still thousands of unregistered staff in roles containing the word ‘nurse.