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Unions call for NMC to appoint chief executive externally

18-Jul-08

Nursing unions have called for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to appoint an external candidate as chief executive and to consult on an action plan to tackle serious failures highlighted last month by an NHS watchdog.

The NMC’s chief executive, president and vice president all resigned or announced plans to resign in the wake of the report by the Commission for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE).

The NMC decided this week it will not fill the vice president post, but intends to replace both the president and chief executive.

In an open letter to the NMC this week, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Nursing, Unite and Unison welcomed the action plan responding to the CHRE report.

The plan commits the NMC to developing a clear mission statement, improving governance, improving transparency of decision making and creating an induction programme for new members.

But the unions called for the NMC, which was criticised by the watchdog over stakeholder involvement, to conduct a consultation on the action plan.

nick.bostock@haymarket.com

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