The RCN London Board | London | Royal College of Nursing

The RCN London Board is elected to represent all of RCN London's 60,214 members. Nurses on the board are drawn from a wide cross-section of the membership and include London-wide regional representatives, divisional representatives for each sector of London (North East London, South East London, and so on), our two Council members and committee representatives (such as stewards, health and safety representatives and students).

Key messages from the latest RCN London Board meeting on Wednesday 20 May 2020:

• Meeting was held virtually for the first time in line with social distancing guidance
• A minutes silence held to remember those nurses that have died due to COVID-19
• President Anne-Marie Rafferty attended the board meeting and was updated on the impact of COVID-19 on the London Region
• The board agreed the decision making process in the event of not being quorate
• The process of constraints was agreed for the next board elections
• The board wanted to send thanks to Dame Donna Kinnair, President Anne-Marie Rafferty and the London Management Team for their leadership during the crisis
• The board acknowledged that the region had met all measured KPI’s
• The board acknowledged the increased media profile in London
• The board discussed recent comments that regarding nurses pay. The board suggested that this is taken to Council with suggestions of response.
• The board discussed the on-going mental health needs of nurses impacted by COVID-19
• The impact of the congestion charge, the ceasing of free travel on London buses and the increased anxiety associated with travelling on public transport now that it is busier was discussed. This will be raised via City Hall and through engagement with London Assembly members.
• The board agreed to an Autumn of Learning sub-group to review how events can be held this year.
• It was noted that the risk to BAME from COVID-19 was high on Director of Nursing’s agenda.

Forthcoming meetings

All members can request to attend the board's meetings which take place on the dates listed below.

Wednesday 21 October 2020 - RCN London Headquarters, 20 Cavendish Square, W1G 0RN.

If you would like to attend please contact Samuel Mason on 020 7841 3333 or email samuel.mason@rcn.org.uk

Board Documents

Agenda, February 2020

Board Meeting Minutes, February 2020

Agenda, December 2019

Board Meeting Minutes, December 2019

Agenda, October 2019

Board Meeting Minutes, October 2019

Agenda, May 2019

Board Meeting Minutes, May 2019

Agenda, Feb 2019

Board Meeting Minutes, February 2019

Your RCN London Board

Noeleen Behan (Outer North Central London)

Noeleen is a registered nurse with over 27 years’ of nursing experience, having commenced nurse training in 1987 at Barnet College of Nursing she completed a BSc in Nursing Studies in 2003 and recently completed an MSc Management course, both at the University of Hertfordshire. Noeleen is currently the Chair of the RCN Outer North Central London Branch and was recently re-elected to a third term in that positon, having previously been branch secretary. Noeleen was the Chair of staff side at Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital NHS Trust for over ten years. Noeleen has ten years’ experience as an RCN Steward and is an experienced negotiator as well as an experienced ACAS trained mediator.

Diane Cameron (Outer South East London)

Diane is a registered nurse with over 35 years’ experience having commenced training in 1979 as Farnborough School of Nursing (later becoming the Nightingale School of Nursing –Kings College, London). Moving from Community Nursing into Education with Education related BA (1st Hons) and an MA, Diane is currently the chair of Outer South East London Branch, and was previously the Branch secretary. As a learning rep and education lead, Diane is an advocate for nurse’s development and the cultural transition needs of overseas nurses.

Cynthia Davis (Board Chair)

Cynthia has worked within the NHS for over 30 years, half of which time has been spent in management roles, including as Director of Nursing for 1 year in an interim role and Deputy Director of Nursing for 4 years. Cynthia’s current role is that of Senior Lecturer in Mentorship & Practice Education at Kingston University & St George’s University of London, where in addition to working with post–registration nurses she has the opportunity to work with pre-registration nursing students. Cynthia has an ethos of working with integrity, openness and fairness, applying a non-judgemental approach. In joining the Board Cynthia hopes to play a part in shaping and championing our profession, both as an educator and a Board member.

Regional Board

Joyce Inoniyegha (Outer North West London)

Joyce is a Registered Nurse with a specialty in paediatric and neonatal intensive care nursing. She has been a community children's manager and has been an RCN member for 28 years, serving 12 of those as an RCN Steward. Joyce is currently Chair of Staff Side at London North West Healthcare Trust. An active member of the policy development group, Joyce continues to promote the work of RCN and encourage recruitment at branch level. As a board member, she is keen to ensure the issues of front line staffing are addressed, particularly bullying and harassment in the work place.

Dr Joan Myers OBE (Council Member)

Joan is Strategic Nurse Consultant for the children and Young people’s service at North East London Foundation Trust and also works part time at London South Bank University as a Senior Lecturer for Community Children's Nursing. Joan is passionate about care in the community, especially for children. She is an advocate for equality and inclusion in the NHS and enjoys motivating all nurses to be and do their best. Joan considers it a privilege to be a voice for nurses and nursing on the RCN Board.

Dr Maria Ponto (Vice Chair and Inner South West West London)

Maria is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing at Kingston University and St. George’s University of London, where she is a course director for the MSc in Clinical Leadership. She also has links with 6 clinical areas at the local teaching hospital. Prior to becoming an educator, Maria had many years of acute nursing experience. She became RCN steward in 1990, representing nurse teachers at the point of transfer to Higher Education. Maria is passionate about the future of the NHS and healthcare education. She believes that education must be relevant to practice and that workforce development should be given more prominence to equip nurses for the complexities of the modern NHS.

Email: m.ponto@sgul.kingston.ac.uk

Regional Board

Karen Sanders (RCN Trade Union Committee)

Karen is a registered nurse with over 35 years’ nursing experience, having commenced her nurse training in 1980 at Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham (now the City Hospital). Prior to becoming a Senior Lecturer at London South Bank University in the Adult Nursing and Midwifery Studies Department, Karen specialised in Adult Intensive Care and Neurosciences nursing and held Management, Practice Development and Education roles. In her present role Karen works with post–registration nurses and pre-registration nursing students. In 2000 she gained an MA in teaching at the Institute of Education, University of London. Karen has been an RCN Learning Representative for over 10 years and is currently the Chair of the UK Learning Representatives Committee and the Treasurer of the Inner South East London Branch. Karen has major concerns about the future of the NHS and of nurse education and is keen to work with the RCN, its members and relevant other parties to address the challenges, problems and conflicts presently being faced in order to ameliorate the situation.

Michael Smith (Outer South West London)

Mike is an Emergency Nurse Practitioner/Chair of Staff Side with over 35 years nursing experience currently working for Epsom & St Helier University Hospital NHS Trust. He has a clinical background in Oncology, Burns and Plastics, A&E as well as a teaching qualification. Mike was one of the first nurse prescribers in London. Mike became active as an RCN steward in 1995 and more latterly is engaged as a health and safety rep. Since then Mike has represented hundreds of nurses and unregistered members, held senior Staff Side positions, led the Outer South West London Branch, sat on both the South East and London RCN Boards and is currently the London representative for the National Stewards Committee. Mike has a passion for supporting members seeking RCN professional help. He also contributes on a regular basis to RCN publications and digital media as well as actively lobbying politicians on behalf of nurses and nursing.