The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has launched a recruitment campaign for a permanent chief executive and registrar, it has been announced.
The regulator said it was looking for an “outstanding leader” who could build on progress that had been made on overhauling the organisation’s culture.
“This is an important opportunity to shape the future of nursing and midwifery regulation in the UK and make lasting change”
Ron Barclay-Smith
It comes as Paul Rees has been leading the NMC since January this year on an interim basis.
Since taking the helm, Mr Rees has pledged to begin leading the regulator into a new era of accountability and integrity through his culture transformation programme.
The plan came in direct response to a damning review into the NMC’s internal culture, published last year, which found a “hotbed of bullying, racism and toxic behaviour” within the regulator.
The investigation, led by former chief crown prosecutor Nazir Afzal, identified dysfunctionality at every level of the organisation that was causing emotional distress to staff and was preventing the NMC from working as it should.
Mr Rees told Nursing Times earlier this year that cultural transformation was an “absolute top priority” and that he hoped, over time, registrants “will see that the NMC is changing”.
Now, the NMC is now looking for a permanent chief executive and registrar to continue to drive forward change at the organisation.
The regulator has appointed executive search specialists, Audeliss, to support its search and the NMC said equality, diversity and inclusion would be placed “at the heart of the process”.
The NMC said it would expect to make this appointment in July.
Ron Barclay-Smith, NMC council chair, said: “We are seeking an exceptional leader who will drive forward our culture and regulatory transformation.
“The permanent chief executive and registrar will be responsible for achieving the NMC’s strategic priorities, working closely with stakeholders and ensuring our regulatory functions effectively deliver for both the public and the professions we regulate.
“This is an important opportunity to shape the future of nursing and midwifery regulation in the UK and make lasting change.”
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