Chris Dzikiti, a Zimbabwean-born mental health nurse, has taken up a key role at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the UK regulator overseeing nearly 868,000 professionals. As Executive Director of Professional Practice, Dzikiti is now part of the NMC's senior leadership, responsible for setting and maintaining standards for nursing and midwifery education and practice. His appointment marks a significant achievement for Zimbabweans working in the UK's health and social care sectors. Dzikiti has been a registered nurse for almost 25 years.
Dzikiti's career has been shaped by his experience in mental health nursing, which he studied at City University London in 2002. He later pursued postgraduate studies, including work in transcultural psychiatry. Before joining the NMC, Dzikiti worked at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), where he served as Interim Chief Inspector of Mental Health, regulating and inspecting mental health services across England. His extensive regulatory experience will be valuable in his new role at the NMC.
As Executive Director of Professional Practice, Dzikiti leads the NMC directorate responsible for safeguarding, education quality assurance, employer outreach, registration, and revalidation. He will play a crucial role in the NMC's program to modernize professional standards across the nursing and midwifery sectors. The regulator is reviewing practice-learning requirements for students and developing a new Code and refreshed revalidation process, expected to take effect in autumn 2027.
Dzikiti's appointment represents a milestone for Zimbabwean healthcare professionals in the UK, who are well-represented in the NHS nursing workforce. According to NHS England figures, 3,852 nurses and health visitors identified as Zimbabwean in June 2025, making Zimbabwe one of the leading nationalities represented in the profession outside the UK. Dzikiti's elevation provides visible representation at the highest professional level of one of the UK's most important healthcare regulators.
The NMC is rebuilding after a difficult period involving concerns about its organizational culture, regulatory performance, and handling of fitness-to-practise cases. Its current reform program includes modernizing professional standards, strengthening safeguarding, improving registration decisions, and addressing racial disparities within nursing and midwifery regulation and education. The organization has a growing diverse workforce, with over a third of its registered professionals from Black, Asian, or other ethnic-minority backgrounds.
NMC Chief Executive and Registrar Paul Rees MBE described Dzikiti's recruitment as "a real coup" for the regulator, citing his experience at the CQC and across the wider nursing and regulatory sectors. Dzikiti succeeded Professor Donna O'Boyle MBE, who retired in June after serving as Acting Executive Director of Professional Practice. Dzikiti expressed his excitement about contributing to the NMC's important work and his desire to work with stakeholders to strengthen professional practice and promote inclusive, compassionate, and equitable care.
Dzikiti's new role will involve working closely with nurses, midwives, nursing associates, and other healthcare stakeholders to promote professional standards and best practices. His experience and expertise will be essential in shaping the future of nursing and midwifery education and practice in the UK. With his appointment, the NMC has taken a significant step towards strengthening its leadership and promoting diversity and inclusion in the healthcare workforce.
Key points
- Chris Dzikiti is the first Zimbabwean-born nurse to become the most senior registered nursing professional at the UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council.
- Dzikiti has almost 25 years of experience as a registered nurse, with a background in mental health nursing.
- The Nursing and Midwifery Council regulates nearly 868,000 professionals across the UK, with a growing diverse workforce.
