Former chief of scandal-hit nursing regulator said ‘whistleblower could take a running jump’

Exclusive: Nursing watchdog’s chair faces allegations he did not act on ‘disrespectful’ comments by his chief executive

Former Nursing and Midwifery Council chief executive Andrea Sutcliffe (PA)

The former chief executive of the UK’s scandal-hit nursing regulator allegedly said a whistleblower should “take a running jump” after they raised concerns about public safety.

Multiple concerns have been raised about the former chief executive for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Andrea Sutcliffe, over alleged inappropriate language used about a whistleblower who spoke out last year about public safety, according to a letter seen by The Independent.

In a meeting weeks after the staff member spoke out, Ms Sutcliffe is claimed to have said in a senior leadership meeting that the worker “can go and take a running jump”, that she was “fuming” with them for raising concerns and that they were “widely off the mark”.

Ms Sutcliffe allegedly said to health leaders: “I can give you comfort that there are no huge problems.”

Her alleged comments have been revealed in a letter sent by the whistleblower to the NMC, the Department for Health and Social Care, the Professional Standards Authority and the Charity Commission this week. Concerns about the remarks were raised to NMC chair Sir David Warren, who has been accused of failing to act, according to the letter.

Ms Sutcliffe sent a letter to the chair last year, apologising for “losing her temper” and using inappropriate language.

David Warren, chair of the NMC (Foreign Office)

The latest allegations come after The Independent revealed concerns by an NMC whistleblower that its toxic and racist culture was allowing rogue nurses to go on working unchecked. Following the report, the NMC commissioned two independent inquiries – one by former public prosecutor Nazir Afzal KC into its culture and a second by Ijeoma Omambala KC into the whistleblower’s treatment.

The Afzal inquiry, whose findings were published in July found the whistleblower’s claims over the “toxic” culture were valid and warned the regulator posed a risk to both public safety and the nurses it regulates. The review warned senior leaders had made inappropriate comments about whistleblowers.

The Independent can now reveal the Professional Standards Authority, which regulates the NMC, has been asked to establish an advisory group to oversee the actions of the regulator in the wake of the culture review.

The NMC is responsible for regulating more than 800,000 nurses, midwives and nursing associates in the UK and it is one of the largest healthcare regulators in Europe.

Nazir Afzal was commissioned to do an independent review of the NMC’s culture (PA)

Following the Azfal review last month, NMC chair Sir David was called to meet with health minister Karin Smyth and, separately, health secretary Wes Streeting.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told The Independent the findings of the Afzal review were “deeply concerning” and that it expects swift and robust actions from the NMC.

It said: “This government is determined to drive positive cultural change where whistleblowers are free to speak up, knowing they will be supported and that their concerns will be listened to and acted upon.”

The DHSC did not comment on the latest allegations against Ms Sutcliffe and Sir David. Ms Sutcliffe stepped down from her role in July this year to recover from a major operation. Sir David faced calls by campaigners and nurses last month to step down as chair. He responded that he intends to remain in post.

It is not clear what action the chair took when he received concerns about his chief executive’s comments last year. He received copies of concerns about the NMC from whistleblowers.

Following The Independent’s reports last year, a second review was launched to look into the treatment of the original whistleblower and to review NMC cases against nurses, which they claimed the regulator had not adequately investigated. Its findings are set to be published later in 2024.

An NMC spokesperson said in response to the alleged comments from its former chief: “The NMC has commissioned Ijeoma Omambala KC to look at how the concerns raised by the whistleblower have been handled and addressed. It is therefore not appropriate to comment further at this time.”

The alleged comments from Ms Sutcliffe are not specifically mentioned in the terms of reference for Ms Omambala and she declined to comment.

The Professional Standards Authority said it was continuing to engage with the whistleblower and is setting up an independent oversight group for the NMC to scrutinise its work in response to the culture review and the two reviews being undertaken by Ms Omambala.

This oversight group will include the chief nursing offices from the four UK nations, trade unions, the DHSC, patient groups and other relevant experts. It will publish a performance review of the NMC after the report by Ms Omambala is published.

A Charity Commission spokesperson said: “We have an ongoing compliance case into the Nursing and Midwifery Council and continue to engage with the charity’s trustees. We are considering the additional information shared with us as part of this case.”

This story was updated at 12:43 with a comment from the Charity Commission.