Nursing and midwifery regulator accused of incompetence
Tom Lloyd
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
The body that regulates nurses and midwives has been described as "fundamentally dysfunctional" in Parliament.
Jim Devine, the Labour MP for Livingstone, accused the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of wasting the money it collects from professionals. He added that there is "a culture of bullying and racism" at the organisation.
Nurses and midwives have to pay a mandatory annual fee to the NMC that currently stands at £76. Devine said this has risen by 77 per cent since 2007.
The government has no power to intervene directly in the running of the NMC. However, health minister Ben Bradshaw said he would write to umbrella body the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence and the Charity Commission encouraging them to look at the claims.
The NMC denied the allegations and said it would welcome an external review.
Nurses and midwives have to pay a mandatory annual fee to the NMC that currently stands at £76. Devine said this has risen by 77 per cent since 2007.
The government has no power to intervene directly in the running of the NMC. However, health minister Ben Bradshaw said he would write to umbrella body the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence and the Charity Commission encouraging them to look at the claims.
The NMC denied the allegations and said it would welcome an external review.
