The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is seeking a new chair to lead its governing council from next May, when the current chair, Dame Janet Finch, will step down.
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The council is responsible for ‘setting the strategic direction’ of the NMC, for ensuring it is focused on protecting patients and the public, and for overseeing its work.
It is made up of six lay and six registrant members, including at least one from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The chair plays a vital leadership role in setting strategy and overseeing the governance of the organisation.
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‘As the demands on the organisation have grown, and will continue to do so in the future, the council has decided that the next chair will need to commit more of their time to the NMC, and has set the future requirement at three days per week,’ an NMC spokesperson said. This also brings the NMC in line with many other regulators.
This appointment provides an ‘opportunity for an outstanding individual to play a central role in supporting the professionalism of midwives, nurses, and nursing associates, and in securing patient safety through a period of significant change in health and care services,’ the NMC said.
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The next council meeting will take place this week in London on Wednesday 27 September.