Stories about hospital scandals or failures in healthcare inevitably provoke a strong public reaction. Yet many of us do not feel able to voice our anger at dirty hospitals or report instances of poor standards of care. This year may be no different when it comes to tales of superbugs and a lack of patient dignity and respect. So how can we shout when we feel wronged, how can we actually make a difference in 2009?

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is running a campaign for people beyond those usually involved in regulating healthcare to make a positive contribution to nursing and midwifery. We believe that people's individual experiences of nurses and midwives can help to shape the way these professions develop.

The NMC, a registered charity, is Europe's largest health regulator and ensures that the 674,000 nurses and midwives on its register perform their duties according to a strict code of conduct. Every practising nurse and midwife in the UK, whether employed by the NHS or privately, has to be registered with the NMC.

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 stipulated for the first time that boards be made up of equal numbers of lay people and professionals. We want our committees to reflect this: at present they are made up mainly of registered nurses and midwives. As an organisation whose primary function is to protect the public, it makes sense that our structure reflects public opinion.

The NMC has always involved members of the public in its work and we recognise the invaluable contribution that non-healthcare professionals can make when it comes to upholding standards. People outside the nursing professions, who use the health service, can offer a fresh perspective. They are impartial judges and are able to set out the mother's or patient's point of view. Somebody who is not involved in nursing can often see more clearly where a nurse may have gone wrong.

Our approach this time is slightly different, in that we are appealing in particular to people who have the skills we need but who may never have worked in these types of roles before. Unsurprisingly regulation attracts regulators, but we want ordinary men and women who are passionate about healthcare but don't necessarily work in it, who want to make a genuine difference to society. People with experience of policy or community work are especially welcome.

There are a variety of vacancies available, including roles on our Fitness to Practise Panel, which manages the process for investigating complaints against nurses and midwives, as well as other committees that set standards in nursing and midwifery education, monitor the organisation's use of resources and oversee the registration process. All roles are paid and part-time, with most requiring only one day each month and are intensely rewarding.

At some point in our lives we will be entrusting our health to a nurse or midwife. Knowing that you can have a genuine impact on the way you and others are cared for, should be something worth speaking out about this year.

Christina McKenzie is the NMC's Head of Midwifery. For further information about the NMC and the vacancies visit www.nmcpeople.org

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