NMC chief stepping down due to ill health

Ms Sutcliffe is set to have neurosurgery in the next few weeks after a tumour was unexpectedly discovered during a scan that she received after having a fall last month.

“It’s an important job and a tough enough job to do when you’re well. It’s frankly impossible to do when you’re not well”

Andrea Sutcliffe

The NMC said that while the tumour is “almost certainly benign” and Ms Sutcliffe is expected to make a full recovery, she will not be returning to her role in order to focus on her health.

Having been appointed in January 2019, Ms Sutcliffe said it had been a “great privilege” to lead the NMC for the last five years.

“I’ve been constantly inspired by the amazing work that the nurses, midwives and nursing associates on our register do for people and communities,” added Ms Sutcliffe.

“Stepping down has been a difficult decision for me but it may be some time before I’m well enough to fully meet the demands of this job.”

Ms Sutcliffe said she was “particularly disappointed” that she would not be in post to lead the NMC’s response to the independent reviews that are ongoing into the regulator’s culture and regulatory processes.

However, she added: “Whatever the findings and recommendations may be, I’m confident that the NMC and its people will deliver positive change.”

Ms Sutcliffe also formally announced her departure during the NMC Council meeting today (22 May).

During the meeting, she explained that the tumour was found when she attended University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) after falling over and breaking her shoulder.

Staff at the accident and emergency department “following the NICE guidance, ordered a CT scan to check my head and made an incidental finding of a tumour which I had no knowledge of, wasn’t experiencing any symptoms with”, she said.

“What I now know is that I will need neurosurgery to remove the tumour. That’s obviously a significant intervention, and I will need a period of recuperation because of the medical impact of that surgery,” said Ms Sutcliffe, who thanked staff at UCLH for the “fantastic care” she had received.

She expressed regret over having to step down, noting that there was “an awful lot more that I would have liked to have done” at the NMC.

However, she said it was the right decision for her health and for the organisation.

“We are very sorry that she has had to stand down from her role at this time and wish her well for her full recovery”

David Warren

“This is a very important job. It’s an important job and a tough enough job to do when you’re well. It’s frankly impossible to do when you’re not well,” she said.

“And for the benefit the organisation, given all of the challenges, and all of the important things that we’ve got to do going forwards, and also having recognition of the importance of my health, and making sure I put that first, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to step down as chief executive and registrar at the NMC.”

Before the NMC, Ms Sutcliffe was the chief inspector of adult social care at the Care Quality Commission.

She has more than 30 years’ experience in health and social care and in recent years she has had a regular column in Nursing Times.

Speaking on behalf of the NMC Council, its chair Sir David Warren paid tribute to Ms Sutcliffe’s leadership over the past five years.

“She has brought immense energy and empathy to her role and an unwavering commitment to maintaining public confidence in the nursing and midwifery professions, coupled with a formidable work ethic,” he said.

“Under her tenure, the NMC has delivered new standards for our professions, brought the public voice into our key decisions, and played a crucial role in the national response to the pandemic.

“All of us on the council will miss Andrea’s absolute dedication to the NMC and determination to work for safe, kind and effective care.

“We are very sorry that she has had to stand down from her role at this time and wish her well for her full recovery.”

The NMC said Ms Sutcliffe would step down at the point of her surgery, which is likely to be around the end of June.

The regulator will appoint an interim chief executive and registrar and will advertise for a permanent successor.