The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has appointed a new adviser to help improve its fitness to practise (FtP) processes.
Professor Donna O’Boyle will join the regulator as a seconded adviser, and work alongside the clinical advice and registrant support teams, and colleagues in professional practice, to improve the regulator’s work on FtP.
A registered nurse since 1987, Professor O’Boyle most recently worked as a professional regulatory advisor at the Scottish Government, providing advice to ministers, the chief nursing officer and the chief medical officer on professional healthcare legislation, practice and policy.
She joins the NMC on a 12-month secondment.
Professor O’Boyle said: ‘I am incredibly delighted to support the NMC in this exciting time of transition, and look forward to bringing the clinical and policy perspective to assist NMC colleagues as they strengthen the delivery of planned changes and transformation.’
Professor O’Boyle will be working closely with Anthony Omo, general counsel and director of fitness to practise at the General Medical Council (GMC), who has joined the NMC on a temporary contract as another seconded executive advisor.
Speaking at an NMC Council meeting last November, Mr Omo said the NMC’s thresholds on FtP screening are ‘not quite in the right place’ and that this was causing delays at the regulator.
Professor O’Boyle and Mr Omo’s appointments are part of a wider set of measures following the Nazir Afzal and Rise Associates review into the NMC which found a culture of systemic bullying and harassment at the regulator.
Professor O’Boyle’s work will focus on speeding up investigations and decisions, alongside tackling the caseload backlog and improving the NMC’s ability to provide effective public protection.
Lesley Maslen, executive director of professional regulation at the NMC, said Professor O’Boyle’s appointment marks ‘an important milestone’ as the regulator continues to implement the changes recommended in the independent culture review.
‘Her knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we work towards faster, fairer, and more effective decisions that protect the public and support nursing and midwifery professionals,’ she added.
The NMC had hoped to reduce its caseload by 4,000 cases by April 2024. But this stood at 5,944 cases by March 2024, up from 5,577 at the start of the year.
