MP says nursing regulator is fundamentally dysfunctional
Criticism of the Nursing and Midwifery Council this week is to result in intervention by the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence and the Charity Commission.
In an adjournment
debate, Jim Devine (Livingston, Lab) said that the
NMC had a culture of bullying and racism affecting both staff and council
members.
Quoting a former council member, Mr Devine said: “The NMC is a
fundamentally dysfunctional organisation where the priority is on maintaining
the status quo at the expense of proper transparency and integrity, where
funds are being misspent and the trustees are being systematically prevented
from doing what they are supposed to do.”
Mr Devine said that it was not unusual for council decisions to be ignored
or circumvented and that standing orders were routinely put aside to
… prevent the council’s consideration of legitimate business.”
An attempt had even been made to exclude some members from a debate because
of the way they had voted in the past, he said.
Ben Bradshaw, health minister responsible for professional regulation,is
to write to the CHRE and the Charity Commission to encourage them to “play
a role in resolving the NMC’s long-standing problems”.
The NMC has rejected Mr Devine’s allegations and welcomes the opportunity
for independent scrutiny.
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