Nurse regulator appoints CPS director as interim chief executive
A Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) director has been appointed as interim chief executive and registrar for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), after Andrea Sutcliffe announced her forthcoming departure from the organisation due to ill health.
Dawn Brodrick will lead the nursing regulator until a permanent successor to Ms Sutcliffe, who revealed in May she would step down, is found.
“I look forward to supporting my new colleagues, and collaborating with the NMC’s partners and stakeholders”
Dawn Brodrick
The appointment comes as the NMC awaits the outcome of independent investigations into its internal culture, treatment of whistleblowers and its handling of fitness-to-practise cases.
Ms Brodrick, currently chief people officer and lead director at CPS, said she understood she was joining the NMC at a “challenging time”, but hoped to use her experience to make a positive difference.
She will assume her post on 4 July, the date Ms Sutcliffe will formally step down.
Ms Brodrick said: “I’m excited to be joining the NMC as interim chief executive and registrar.
“I look forward to supporting my new colleagues, and collaborating with the NMC’s partners and stakeholders to ensure a high standard of nursing and midwifery care for everyone.”
Dawn Brodrick
Ms Brodrick was previously chief people officer at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and held senior roles before that at the Department of Communities and Local Government, HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions.
NMC Council chair Sir David Warren added: “On behalf of the council, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Dawn as our interim chief executive and registrar.
“I’m confident that her distinguished career in public service and leadership will prove invaluable as we reflect on the findings and recommendations of independent scrutiny of our work, and continue the process of change.
“I’d also like to reiterate my thanks to Andrea Sutcliffe for her five years of dedicated service to the NMC, to the regulation of our professions, and to the safety of the public.
“We wish Andrea a full recovery from the operation she is about to have, and all our best wishes for the future.”
The NMC will now begin the search for a permanent successor to Ms Sutcliffe, who said her departure from the organisation was a “difficult decision” and that she was “particularly disappointed” she could not lead it through the aftermath of the investigations and internal review.
Ms Sutcliffe made the decision to step down after the discovery of a tumour; she is set to have neurosurgery in the coming weeks.
