NMC Council welcomes three new appointees

Justine Craig will join the NMC as its new designate member for Scotland. Justine, a registered midwife, will take office on 1 May 2021. She will succeed current member for Scotland, Rob Parry, when his second term of office comes to an end. In the interim, Justine will be actively engaging with the Council’s work.

Tracey MacCormack, a registered midwife and Dr Gloria Rowland, a registered nurse, midwife and specialist community public health nurse (SCPHN) will join as our first two Associates from 1 January 2021.

The Council launched this innovative Associate scheme to provide opportunities for individuals with potential to develop the skills and expertise needed to be a Non-Executive Director in the future by gaining first-hand experience of what being a Council member involves. The Council was particularly keen to attract midwives and registrants from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. We were overwhelmed by the positive response and the wealth of potential talent out there.

Deputy Chair of the Council, Karen Cox said:

“I’m delighted that Justine will be joining the Council as the future member for Scotland. She brings a wealth of experience and will ensure that we continue to hear the voice and perspective of midwives on the Council in the months and years ahead.

“It’s also a great pleasure to welcome Tracey and Gloria as our first ever Associates. This is an exciting new scheme by the Council to help develop the talent base for the future. Tracey and Gloria were chosen from over 100 applicants in the face of stiff competition. We look forward to the fresh perspectives and insight they will bring to the Council’s work and to helping equip them to be future Board members.

“Justine, Tracey and Gloria all showed that our values of kindness, fairness, collaboration and ambition are at the heart of what they stand for.

“Finally, I would like to say thank you to our partners across the UK who supported us during these selection processes. The work that nurses, midwives and nursing associates do has never been more important and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them for the benefit of our professionals and the communities we’re here to serve.”

Commenting on her appointment Justine said:

“It is a great privilege and an honour to be appointed to the Council and I am looking forward to being able to contribute both my midwifery expertise and the Scottish perspective to the Council’s work.”

Commenting on her appointment, Tracey said:

“I am delighted to have this opportunity to get involved in the work of the Council through this new Associate role.”

Commenting on her appointment Gloria said:

“I am thrilled to have been chosen as one of the first Associates and look forward to learning from my involvement with the Council.”

Council member appointments are made by the Privy Council, following an open, competitive selection process. The Associate appointments were made by the Council, following a similar open and competitive selection process.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

The NMC’s governing Council is made up of twelve members: six lay people and six current nurses, midwives or nursing associates, appointed by the Privy Council. There can never be more than 12 members on the Council – this is the legal maximum. The Council must include at least one member from each of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England at all times.

The Council introduced the Associate scheme in July 2020, to provide a way of developing the future talent base by giving those with potential to have the chance to develop the skills and expertise required to serve at senior national Board level. Associates will be involved in all aspects of the Council’s work and contribute to the Council’s business in a similar way to appointed Council members.

Appointments to Associate roles are for up to two years. Associates will not vote on Council decisions; however, votes are rare, as the Council makes decisions by consensus wherever possible. Additionally, they will not be a Charity Trustee or subject to the legal duties, responsibilities or liabilities of appointed Council members.

Justine Craig (Registered midwife) - designate Scotland Council member

Justine, a registered midwife, is currently Associate Director of Nursing and Midwifery at NHS Tayside, responsible for professional leadership across Women, Children and Families. Previously, Justine was Chief Midwife at NHS Tayside (until August 2019), including a period as Midwifery Professional Adviser to the Chief Midwife for Scotland, Scottish Government (January to June 2018). Justine has undertaken a variety of additional professional roles, including chairing the Royal College of Midwives Lead Midwives Scotland Group for a five-year period. Justine will take up a new role as Director of Midwifery, NHS Lothian in early 2021.

It is a condition of Justine’s appointment that she lives or works, wholly or mainly in Scotland whilst serving on the Council from May 2021.

Dr Gloria Rowland (Registered Nurse, Midwife and SCPHN) - Council Associate

Gloria first trained as a registered nurse and midwife in Nigeria before relocating to the United Kingdom. Gloria completed her NMC adaptation programme to become registered as a nurse and subsequently qualified as a midwife, Specialist Community Public Health Nurse and Doctor of Clinical Practice.

She has a strong passion for change, innovation and transformation of health services. She has worked within the NHS and community settings as a Consultant Midwife and Head of Midwifery. In 2018, Gloria became Director for Midwifery at Barts Health NHS Trust which has the largest maternity services in the UK.

Gloria is the first Black African Director of Midwifery in the history of maternity services in the UK. She was a Mary Seacole Scholar in 2009, and a Florence Nightingale Research Scholar in 2011. Gloria has won many national awards for her work in transforming maternity care, her most recent work involved transforming poor performing maternity services into good maternity units.

Gloria chaired the trailblazer group that developed the new midwifery standard and apprenticeship pathway entrance into the midwifery profession. Gloria leads the BAME Maternity Leaders Covid-19 Response Team and was recently appointed to the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) National Advisor Group in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gloria will take up a new role as Chief Nurse, NHS South West London in early 2021.

Tracey MacCormack (Registered Midwife) – Council Associate

Tracey has worked as a midwife for twenty-three years and has been Head of Midwifery at King’s College Hospital since April 2018. She is actively involved in midwifery through other activities and networks, for example as Professional Clinical Adviser, Antenatal and Newborn Screening, at Public Health England since October 2014. Tracey has also previously been a Specialist Midwifery Adviser for the Care Quality Commission.

Tracey is passionate about midwifery training and supporting newly qualified midwives so they can reach their full potential. This passion has led to her involvement with Capital Midwife where she has co-authored the Preceptorship Programme Framework. She has been actively involved in the BAME Directors and Head of Midwifery strategic group looking at the reasons why more staff from BAME backgrounds were affected by Covid-19.Tracey is also a member of her Trust’s BAME network as well as being a Freedom to Speak Up Advocate.

Tracey will take up a new role as Director of Midwifery at King’s College Hospital in early 2021.

About the NMC

Our vision is safe, effective and kind nursing and midwifery that improves everyone’s health and wellbeing. As the professional regulator of more than 700,000 nursing and midwifery professionals, we have an important role to play in making this a reality.

Our core role is to regulate. First, we promote high professional standards for nurses and midwives across the UK, and nursing associates in England. Second, we maintain the register of professionals eligible to practise. Third, we investigate concerns about nurses, midwives and nursing associates – something that affects less than one percent of professionals each year. We believe in giving professionals the chance to address concerns, but we’ll always take action when needed.

To regulate well, we support our professions and the public. We create resources and guidance that are useful throughout people’s careers, helping them to deliver our standards in practice and address new challenges. We also support people involved in our investigations, and we’re increasing our visibility so people feel engaged and empowered to shape our work.

Regulating and supporting our professions allows us to influence health and social care. We share intelligence from our regulatory activities and work with our partners to support workforce planning and sector-wide decision making. We use our voice to speak up for a healthy and inclusive working environment for our professions.

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