Results of RCN Council election announced
The Royal College of Nursing today announces the results of elections to its governing Council.
The Council consists of one representative each from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and one from each of England’s nine regions. It includes a member to represent nursing support workers and one for students. The President, Deputy President and Chair of Congress also serve as ex-officio members of Council.
RCN Council provides strategic leadership and direction for the College.
A new Chair, Vice Chair and Honorary Treasurer will be elected by members of RCN Council with the outcome announced by the new year.
The members elected as Council members are:
London: Dr Joan Myers
Northern: Dr Annessa Rebair
Northern Ireland: Fiona Devlin
Scotland: Geoff Earl
South East: Jeremy Benton
Wales: Richard Jones
West Midlands: Professor Rod Thomson FRCN
Yorkshire & the Humber: Catherine Best
The Council seats for Eastern, East Midlands, North West, South West and Nursing Support Workers only had one eligible nomination each. The following candidates have been elected unopposed.
Eastern: Janice Waters
East Midlands: Deidre Sissions
North West: Dave Dawes
South West: Geoffrey Walker
Nursing Support Worker: Evan Keir
The Council’s remaining members are the President, Deputy President and Chair of Congress.
Those elected to Council will begin their term in office on 1 January 2020 which will run until 31 December 2023.
Sue Warner, out-going Chair of Council, said:
“Serving on Council is a huge privilege - working on behalf of our members, and the wider nursing profession.
“I would like to thank the outgoing members of Council for their dedicated service and for steering the College through some challenging issues. I also want to pay tribute to all the candidates in the election some of whom will be understandably disappointed today.
“I extend a warm welcome to the new members of Council who will pick up the baton and take us through the next few years - you will be the guardians of our profession and I urge you to take that responsibility seriously.
Dame Donna Kinnair, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing said:
“I congratulate our new members of Council and thank every candidate for the ideas and passion they demonstrated during the campaign.
“This four-year Council will bring further stability to our College and they will lead the organisation as it takes our professional and trade union agenda forward. We are proudly led by our members and the RCN is fortunate to have individuals of this calibre stepping forward for Council.
“Members who have given loyal service on Council have my personal gratitude as their terms come to an end.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
For more information, please contact Nick Spears, Senior Media Officer, on 020 7647 3696 or email nick.spears@rcn.org.uk
Council members have a responsibility to ensure the RCN delivers its statutory purpose as outlined in its Royal Charter and Standing Orders and that the College complies with trade union and company legislation. They are accountable for the affairs and activities of the RCN, advocate for the organisation and provide oversight and scrutiny of its activities.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.
The full results the election is available on the Royal College of Nursing website
