An update from the NMC Chair on recent Council member recruitment

Philip Graf, Chair of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), said:

“As I set out in my statement last week, maintaining midwifery expertise on our Council is hugely important. I would again like to reiterate my disappointment that we were not able to identify someone with midwifery expertise who was suitable to recommend for appointment as a registrant member of Council in our last round of recruitment.

“I very much recognise the importance of ensuring that we have the right expertise and voices around the table to enable Council to fulfil its role effectively. I also recognise the value someone with midwifery expertise brings to the Council’s vital governance and oversight responsibilities. With this in mind, there are a number of actions we are taking:

1. The upcoming recruitment for a new registrant Council member for Scotland will be specifically focused on finding someone with midwifery expertise who is suitable to recommend for appointment to Council, and we will work closely with the midwifery community to identify and encourage high quality candidates
   
   
2. We will bring forward the timing of the recruitment process for this role, with a view to an appointment being made in October/November 2020. The successful candidate would then work closely with the Council until they take up their role in May 2021.
   
   
3. We have amended our Council Standing Orders to demonstrate our commitment to maintaining midwifery expertise on our Council. This means that in the setting of any selection criteria for new Council members, the Council will seek to ensure that at any given time:

• • The membership of the Council reflects a mix of background, knowledge and skills
  • The membership of the Council reflects the diversity of the public that it serves
  • Registrant membership of the Council includes both people with nursing expertise and midwifery expertise

“I would like to express my thanks to the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), together with other midwifery leaders, for their recent constructive engagement on this matter. I look forward to continuing to work with them in our search for a new Council member and I am confident the measures we have set out today will ensure we find the right person, with midwifery expertise, who is suitable to recommend for appointment to our Council.”

ENDS

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