The importance of the NMC is above all to protect the health and well-being of the public. The NMC will also investigate nurses and midwives who fail to meet standards. It also ensures that nurses and midwives keep up to date on all training to improve their skills, knowledge and meet all professional standards. It allows the public to see if nursing or midwifery professionals are being investigated and, if so, what the reason is and why they are being investigated. It gives the public advice on how to make a complaint and the correct procedure to follow. The downsides would be that as it is such a large organization and regulates thousands of nurses and midwives, investigations could take a long time. Additionally, the fact that it is so easily accessible means that it is constantly being analyzed by the public, which could make it difficult for them.