Unite the union position statement in relation to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Independent Culture Review
- Monday 22 July 2024
July 2024
The Independent Culture Review of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) led by Nazir Afzal, published on the 9th July, is a distressing read. It details many examples of a toxic culture of bullying, racism, unfair and inappropriate fitness to practise decisions.
It is not the first time the NMC have been under the spotlight for their culture, and they have previously given assurance that they would change. Indeed, on the face of it, it appeared they were making progress. It is therefore even more concerning to find that this was not the case. The NMC’s primary aim is to protect the public and it is essential that the public and those whom the NMC regulate have confidence in their ability to fulfil their remit, fairly and with compassion. Unite shares the view of its members who pay the NMC a fee to be able to work, that it is extremely concerning that the NMC is not adhering to the standards they expect from their registrants.
The NMC Council will be discussing the Report at their meeting on the 24th July and considering the actions that will be taken to address the issues identified.
The Council paper details the appointment of an independent Empowered to Speak Up Guardian. Unite is of the view that more detail is required on how this will work in practice and how their effectiveness will be evaluated.
The Council Paper also makes no reference to whether the perpetrators of the bullying and racism have been appropriately dealt with. Unite considers that the staff and registrants who were on the receiving end of such appalling behaviour need to be assured that those responsible have been held to account and has requested the NMC address this.
The diversity of NMC staff, their Council and their panel members is another issue that Unite has requested the NMC Council and the Executive to address on many occasions. Unite’s position is that this must now be addressed as a matter of urgency. To do this is it essential that potential candidates can be confident that they will be treated with dignity and respect.
The concerns raised in relation to fitness to practise will not be news to some of our members. As the report details, those who have been referred for concerns about their fitness to practice can remain in the process for years. Unite has on many occasions raised concerns about delays with the regulators, including the NMC, and the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) as such delays do not offer effective public protection and clearly are not fair nor compassionate to registrants. We will continue to push for change.
Whilst the additional investment of £30m is positive, without a fundamental change in culture and processes, Unite questions whether it will have the required impact. As the number of referrals continues to grow, the length cases are taking will continue to increase unless there are significant changes to the processes.
Unite was saddened to learn of the deaths referred to in the report and our sincere condolences go out to the families involved.
The previous government dragged their feet on regulatory reform, which would go some way to streamlining processes. Unite calls on the new government to implement regulatory reform as soon as possible.
Unite is of the view that change will only happen if the NMC truly understands why the culture has become so toxic and why despite their best efforts, they have so far not been able to impact on this. As the Council and the Executive appear to have not been aware of many of the issues raised, Unite is yet to be convinced that they will be capable of addressing them.
Unite is therefore calling for emergency government intervention and greater scrutiny from the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) to ensure that all regulators adhere to the same standards which they expect of their registrants.
The NMC state that this report will be ‘a turning point’ and they accept all of the recommendations contained within. However, we need action, not platitudes. Unite has asked the NMC for stakeholders, including trade unions, to have the opportunity to meet with the report’s author and awaits a response. Going forward Unite will continue to closely monitor the NMC’s plans for implementing the recommendations and ensure they are robust and lead to sustained change.