Once again the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) finds itself in a state of crisis as it goes blindly from one catastrophe to another without any respite in sight. The RCN has reported on numerous crises within the profession and yet the Council has seen an unprecedented turn of events over the last few months of such seriousness that they could bring the RCN into disrepute—again.
The governance of the College has been the subject of much scrutiny on various occasions in recent years. RCN members passed a motion of no confidence in the RCN Council at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in 2018 and in 2019 they signalled their dissatisfaction related to the mistakes the RCN made concerning the 2018 NHS pay deal. An independent review was undertaken, considering governance and decision-making processes at the RCN (Centre for Public Scrutiny, 2020). The review revealed (not for the first time) that the RCN needs to ensure that members are given the opportunity to influence and shape the organisation; they need to know and be assured that there will be openness and transparency as well as establishing if the structures that they have in place are fit for purpose.
In the lead up to the 2020 election of the RCN president and deputy president, campaigning was put on hold after two of the four presidential candidates were disqualified. One of them was the then president, competing for re-election. Further questions about leadership were being raised; the chair and vice chair of Council stood down. Another EGM was called in November 2020. Resolution 2 called for a comprehensive review of the governance of the RCN, led by RCN Council. Members voted in favour of the resolution. It is clear that the RCN membership is telling the RCN leadership that they have no or little confidence in the organisation.
In July 2021 the chief executive and general secretary left her role after 2 years in office, an acting chief executive and general secretary has been appointed. A deputy general secretary and chief executive was selected, who also takes on the role of director of nursing. The RCN Council member for London (in post since October 2019) has also stepped down from the role with immediate effect. The Council member, in her resignation letter, advised the Council to make changes and added that members deserve better than what they are currently getting. Concerns about diversity within the College were also cited.
The discussion regarding how the RCN is governed has received much social media attention. In another development in mid-July, the Council chair stepped down from his role. An investigation is taking place into a number of criticisms made by staff and stakeholders concerning his conduct. He is being replaced on an acting basis by the vice chair. He was to remain as a council member for the North West region but has been temporarily suspended from his seat, awaiting the outcome of the investigation.
The ongoing saga at the RCN amounts to a chronology of errors by an organisation that is unable or unwilling to learn from its past mistakes and to ensure that its membership is at the heart of all that is done. This is an organisation without a memory, a sorry state of affairs for the world's largest nursing union and professional body, representing more than 450 000 nurses, student nurses, midwives and nursing support workers in the UK and internationally. Meanwhile, at RCN HQ: how is the Fair Pay for Nursing campaign going? These calamities at the RCN have again taken the attention off matters that really concern nurses—fair pay and conditions of service. It is high time the RCN got its house in order.