RCN council to face confidence vote following Carr report

RCN members will be asked to vote on a question of confidence in the council’s leadership later this month.

The member resolution will apply specifically to the period covered by Bruce Carr KC’s independent review into the organisation’s culture. The resolution from members has also called for relevant council office holders to step down.

The vote will take place at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on 29 November from 2-5pm at the RCN’s London headquarters and online.

Members are being invited to discuss and contribute to a plan addressing recommendations from the review, which found numerous and serious examples of problematic culture within the professional body.

Examples include a ‘deeply misogynist culture’ within the RCN’s council, potential ‘exploitative’ sexual activity at the annual Congress, and the domination of non-nurse trade unionists at the highest levels of the body.

The EGM will hear from Pat Cullen, RCN general secretary and chief executive, on the context and background to the review, as well as Mr Carr himself on its findings and recommendations.

There will also be a discussion about what actions are being taken in response and the proposed plan that has been developed. Members will be able to ask questions, which can be submitted in advance.

RCN president Dr Denise Chaffer said last month that the RCN was ‘committed to developing and driving through a large-scale programme of transformational change… to ensure that these types of behaviour are never again witnessed at the RCN’.

Members will be contacted by Civica about how to attend virtually and vote on the member resolution. To attend in person, members are encouraged to book as there are limited spaces.