The UK nursing regulator has come under fire for re-commissioning two critical investigations into its handling of whistleblowing disclosures and fitness to practise (FtP) cases, meaning the reports will not be published until two years after they were first commissioned.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) this week announced that two reviews, being led by Ijeoma Omambala KC, would not be delivered within the anticipated timescales and would, therefore, be re-commissioned.
“It is now essential that these reviews are completed in a timely way, so that any learning can be taken forward”
The whistleblower, whose concerns triggered the reviews after speaking to a national newspaper, told Nursing Times it was a “shameless” attempt by the NMC to postpone further criticism of the organisation.
The reports were commissioned in 2023 following an exposé by The Independent, which claimed the NMC had a “deep-seated toxic culture” that was leading to skewed and failed investigations by the regulator.
Ms Omambala had subsequently been asked to examine the individual FtP cases raised by the whistleblower and also the NMC’s handling of the whistleblowing disclosures themselves.
Both investigations were due for publication in early 2024, but have been delayed due to a “number of factors”, according to the regulator.
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