Damning review reveals nursing regulator’s “toxic” culture problems

The UK’s nursing regulator, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), has promised to tackle the serious cultural problems, including bullying and racism, revealed by a damning independent review.1

The five month long review into NMC’s culture, published on 9 July and commissioned by NMC, was led by former chief crown prosecutor Nazir Afzal. It heard from 1044 current and former NMC staff, as well as 224 panel members who sit on fitness to practise hearings.

“At virtually every level of the organisation, across all directorates, we witnessed a dysfunctionality that was causing emotional distress to staff and preventing the organisation from properly functioning,” the authors said.

NMC has promised a “step change” in its culture and working practices to tackle the problems.