Multiple members of the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) executive board have resigned in the last year, Nursing Times can reveal.
Five members of the regulator’s executive board left between mid-2024 and January 2025, while a further two individuals who were filling posts temporarily have stepped down in the last few weeks.
“The recruitment to the executive board will help bring stability”
NMC spokesperson
The NMC told Nursing Times that the resignations reflected the “period of change” the organisation was going through.
Several of the vacant positions are now being advertised to be filled substantively, which the NMC said would “help bring stability” going forwards.
The executive individuals who left between mid-2024 and January 2025 are:
Lise-Anne Boissiere and Ruth Bailey, directors of people and organisational effectiveness
Edward Welsh, executive director of communications and engagement
Matthew McClelland, executive director of strategy and insight
Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive and registrar
Documents seen by Nursing Times also revealed that Kuljit Dhillon, who had been seconded to the NMC from the General Medical Council (GMC), stepped down earlier than expected last month.
Ms Dhillon was appointed interim director of strategy and insight, following Mr McClelland’s resignation last year.
She was due to return to the GMC, where she is assistant director of strategy, planning and inclusion, at the end of April, but instead stepped down on 6 February.
In addition, Sam Donohue, acting executive director of professional practice, will leave the NMC at the end of April after three years at the regulator.
Ms Donohue, a registered nurse by background, was previously assistant director for national and regional outreach but was filling the professional practice role on a temporary basis.
It comes as the original post-holder, Sam Foster, has been off work since last year.
Nursing Times pressed the NMC on what its plan was for the executive professional practice post, but it said it could not comment at this time.
However, it did confirm that external recruitment for four substantive executive board level roles was underway. The roles being advertised are:
Executive director of people and culture
Executive director of strategy and insight
Executive director of communications and engagement
Chief of staff
The regulator further confirmed that it would begin recruitment for the assistant director for national and regional outreach role in due course.
Meanwhile, Sir David Warren, chair of the NMC’s governing council, is also due to step down imminently as his tenure comes to an end.
Nursing Times understands that an announcement will be made about the new chair in the coming weeks.
The NMC confirmed that, once the new chair was in post, it would launch a process for a permanent chief executive and registrar.
It comes as its current interim chief executive and registrar, Paul Rees, took up the position in January and is due to serve a 12-month tenure.
Paul Rees
The high turnover of staff comes at a time when the NMC is working towards improving its internal culture and processes.
It follows a damning review published last year, which found a “hotbed of bullying, racism and toxic behaviour” at the regulator.
Mr Rees is due to publish a culture transformation plan next month to address the current challenges and opportunities facing the organisation.
He said wanted the regulator to “change at pace” and be an organisation that leads with “fairness, inclusion and excellence”.
The culture transformation plan will be based on six pillars: effective leadership; values-based decision making; embedding equality, diversity and inclusion best practice; ensuring psychological safety; promoting enjoyment of work; and regulatory fairness.
An NMC spokesperson said: “The NMC is going through a period of change.
“The recruitment to the executive board will help bring stability and we will publish a culture transformation plan this month.”
More on the NMC and its culture
