Pat has launched immediate investigations into incidents referred to in the report, to be carried out by Bruce Carr KC, and depending on the outcome, individuals involved will face appropriate internal and regulatory action.
A copy of the report has been shared with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
The RCN has made the report available to all members today (10 October) and is holding an event for members to hear more about the report at 6.30pm tomorrow evening (11 October).
The College will also convene a formal General Meeting in person on 29 November. More details will be announced soon.
The independent review into the culture of the RCN, first commissioned in summer 2021, follows a report by KPMG on the governance of the College published in May this year. The RCN has accepted the recommendations of both reports and will keep members informed on how it intends to make those structural reforms and raise standards.
Members who would like to talk in confidence and seek support are encouraged to speak to Validium on 0800 783 1157. If you have information related to the report’s content to share, please call SafeCall on 0800 028 2511 or email Bruce Carr KC's chambers directly.
Pat said: “The College owes Bruce Carr KC a debt of gratitude for the time he has taken to produce a report of such detail, breadth and quality.
“Where behaviours have fallen short in the past, I apologise today on behalf of the entire RCN. I will hold this report close as I redouble efforts to overhaul this College and give members the strong, professional and genuinely representative organisation they deserve.
“Since I put the College on that journey last year, we have reached record size and led our members into the historic NHS strike ballot. Our collective voice is louder and our professional image much improved. New safeguarding measures and protocols have been introduced and we are modernising our governance and rethinking our approach to equality and inclusivity.
“I do not want to see this proud body dragged through the mud but my commitment to leave no stone unturned is even greater. No individual is beyond reproach. Whatever role they held previously or even today, those implicated in the report, and following appropriate investigation, will face internal and regulatory consequences.
“This review does not attach names to the incidents described but I am determined that the forthcoming investigations give complainants and victims the justice they deserve and serve as definitive proof of our commitment to change. Everybody who shared difficult personal experiences, of any kind, has my personal appreciation and support again today.”
