NMC Chief Executive, Paul Rees MBE, named Inclusive Leader of the Year

The Awards spotlight the achievements of Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff and allies who build inclusivity.

Paul – who was awarded an MBE for services to mental health and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in 2022 – was honoured by the B.A.M.E Health & Care Awards judges for his track record in leading organisations through culture transformation.

Paul was one of two winners of the award this year. Ben Mensah, Managing Director for Children and Young People's Mental Health (CYP) at North London NHS Foundation Trust, was also named as an Inclusive Leader of the Year.

Paul joined the NMC in January, following the Independent Culture Review which found that there were staff who had experienced racism and other forms of discrimination at work.

He has since led a turnaround of the organisation, building a new NMC that can be the strong and independent regulator of nursing and midwifery professionals that everyone wants. One that is a fair regulator, with a strong sense of equity.

The NMC is delivering this positive change through its Culture Transformation Plan. This includes a comprehensive three-year programme of activity aimed at embedding EDI, ensuring psychological safety and promoting enjoying work. Already under this plan the NMC has:

• Signed the UNISON Anti-Racism Charter
• Set ambitious new equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) targets to eliminate bias from our regulatory processes and drive fairness for our staff
• Started taking important steps to reduce our ethnicity pay gap, such as ensuring ethnically diverse shortlists for senior roles
• Regeared our flagship mentoring programme to ensure that 80% of participants are from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.

All NMC managers are being coached on embedding EDI, as well as on values-based decision making, ensuring psychological safety and enjoying work.

Paul Rees MBE, Chief Executive and Registrar, said:

“I am honoured to be a winner of the Inclusive Leader of the Year award. It is humbling to be part of an awards ceremony which celebrates Black, Asian and minority ethnic leaders and allies who are working to make health and care more inclusive and equitable.

“I would like to congratulate Ben Mensah, who was also named a winner of Inclusive Leader of the Year.

“Having been bullied, due to my skin colour, from the age of six, I’ve always had an intense dislike of racism and discrimination. Much of my career has been driven by a desire to prove those people of my past wrong.

“The fact I was the first ever Black chief executive of a medical royal college, as well as being – as far as I know – the first Black chief executive of a national community pharmacy body and now the first Black chief executive of a regulator for healthcare workers fills me with immense pride.

“The racist kids and teachers of my past would have been shocked by what I’ve gone on to achieve.

“That is what has motivated me to start creating a more inclusive culture at the NMC, underpinned by an anti-racist ethos. We are playing our part in eliminating discrimination, bias and inequality – both for our staff and within our regulatory processes.

“A more inclusive NMC doesn’t just benefit us internally – it helps build public trust, ensures fairness in how we regulate and ultimately supports safer, better care for the people we serve.”

Notes to editors

• Paul recently wrote a personal account of his experience of racism and how that drives him in his career. This is published via Nursing in Practice.

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