17.35
And that’s it for day one of Congress. Main hall debates have finished, with just evening fringe sessions left.
We’ll be back tomorrow morning for day 2.
17.15
It’s safe to say Dame Donna’s speech was well received. A standing ovation from the audience in attendance here in Liverpool. Read the highlights from her speech here. Or alternatively, you can read her keynote in full here.
Standing ovation for Dame Donna Kinnair at the conclusion of her speech #RCN19 pic.twitter.com/3ZtpJA57nZ
— Nursing in Practice (@NurseinPractice) May 20, 2019
16.55
Dame Donna isn’t mincing her words.
‘Put back into nursing the money for education and CPD that you so catastrophically took out’
Dame Donna Kinnair, RCN chief executive, sends her message to Government loud and clear during her keynote speech at RCN Congress #RCN19
— Nursing in Practice (@NurseinPractice) 20 May 2019
16.35
Dame Donna Kinnair, the recently-appointed permanent RCN chief executive, is now on stage to deliver her keynote speech. The debate on the motion for the RCN to rejoin the ICN will continue after she has spoken
15.45
A break in proceedings, but things are overrunning a little. We were halfway through debating a motion over whether the RCN should rejoin the International Council of Nurses (ICN) . They left in 2013 over concerns with the ICN’s strategy and direction. The proposer says it will cost an additional £1.42 per year for RCN members, based on how much it cost to join the RCN last time round.
The debate also featured London-based practice nurse Ellen Nicholson supporting the motion.
15.00
Our first motion of the day – that Congress calls on the RCN to lobby UK Governments to decriminalise prostitution – is overwhelmingly passed by the voting members of Congress. To much whooping from the initial proposer of the motion.
14.25
A poor gentleman sitting at the front has caught the eye of Congress chair BJ Waltho. The test question to ensure everyone has a voting card has worked it’s magic, and has outed this chap as someone without one. He is a voting member, but wasn’t given a card. ‘See me later’, BJ Waltho tells him.
14.00
We are here at RCN Congress 2019, bringing you all the latest, as it happens, with our live blogs on all four days of the event.
We are here at RCN Congress 2019! New chair of Congress BJ Waltho kicking things off #RCN19 pic.twitter.com/EHYbuwqFk1
— Nursing in Practice (@NurseinPractice) 20 May 2019
