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Nursing and Midwifery chair appointment criticised by board

Governance | Niki May Young | 1 Aug 2012

New Nursing and Midwifery Council chair Mark Addison has received a less than welcoming reception from the regulator which has expressed "grave concerns" over the process employed by the Department of Health to appoint him.

Announced yesterday, Addison's appointment will see him take charge of the board in the Autumn for a minimum of 18 months. It also rules out the possibility of interim chair Judith Ellis taking up the role on a permanent basis.

The NMC swiftly followed the news with a statement criticising the lack of an open application process:

"The NMC acknowledge the appointment by the Privy Council of Mark Addison as chair of the NMC. However, as Council of an independent regulator, they feel it necessary to express their grave concern regarding the appointment selection and lack of an open, transparent and equal opportunities process to demonstrate how this person meets the specifications for the chair laid out in the CHRE report," said the Council.

"The Council wishes to recognise the contribution that has been made by the interim chair, professor Judith Ellis and interim chief executive Jackie Smith over the last four months. Under their leadership the NMC is already making progress in many areas identified in the CHRE report," it added.

A permanent chief executive is yet to be appointed.

NMC leadership criticised in CHRE report

In January this year the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) was commissioned by the Department of Health to undertake a review of the NMC. Published in July, the review heavily criticised the regulator's management structure, advising that the NMC had an "insufficient skill mix and capacity" in its leadership, which did not understand the regulator's primary purpose. 

"A succession of chief executives, chair and council members have failed to create a modern, effective and efficient regulator that the public, nurses and midwives need and deserve," the report advised. 

The NMC apologised for its failings at that time, and pledged to use the report as a "catalyst for change" at the organisation. The Council implemented a change management programme to implement recommendations in the review and vowed to address leadership issues. Ellis and Smith had already been put in place and received praise from the CHRE for their work to turn the organisation around.

But the Department of Health advised that urgent action was required to fix the leadership at the regulator, leading to Addison's fast-track appointment:

"In light of the review published by the CHRE the Appointments Commission withdrew its recruitment exercise for a chair.

"There clearly was a need to act quickly to bring certainty to the NMC. The Privy Council has approved this appointment based on advice and assistance from the Department."

About Addison

Mark Addison is currently the non-executive director at the National Archives, a member of the Which? Council and a visiting professor at the Cass Business School.

He was the chief executive of the Crown Prosecution Service from 1998 to 2001, a role he was granted in a similar manner to his latest, following a review recommending a number of organisational changes. He has also held a number of other senior roles within the civil service, which he left in 2006, including positions at No10 and the Cabinet Office.

A Department of Health spokesman said, "Mark Addison has the skills needed to help the NMC become a confident, capable and respected regulator."

Following yesterday's appointment the NMC conceded that, "In the interest of stability, the Council will work with Mark to continue building public and professional confidence in the NMC effective regulator, focusing on our key regulatory function, the protection of the public." 

It was welcomed by the Department of Health, which said: "We're pleased that the NMC has committed to working with Mark Addison to make the improvements needed; and we welcome the support for this appointment from Unison and the Royal College of Nursing."

Both organisations had issued statements in support of the appointment. Janet Davies, executive director of nursing and service delivery at the Royal College of Nursing said: “We are pleased that the NMC has taken steps to appoint a credible, experienced individual who can start to tackle some of the organisation’s fundamental challenges. We have always stated that the nursing profession needs a strong regulator, which can effectively uphold professional standards and safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public.