NMC launches campaign to appoint permanent Chief Executive and Registrar

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has today (8 May 2025) launched the recruitment campaign for a permanent Chief Executive and Registrar.

We are seeking an outstanding leader who can build on the progress we have made since the publication of the Independent Culture Review by Nazir Afzal and Rise Associates last July. This found that colleagues at the NMC had experienced racism, bullying and discrimination. It also underlined how our culture impacts regulatory performance.

We now have a Culture Transformation Plan in place, along with a new Corporate Plan 2025-2026, that ensures we focus on and deliver against our core purpose: protecting the public.

We are also embarking on an ambitious programme to modernise how we regulate, with major reforms to our underpinning legislation coming in the next few years.

The current staff lead is our Interim Chief Executive and Registrar Paul Rees MBE, who was appointed in January, on a 12-month contract.

To help find the right candidate for the permanent role, we have appointed executive search specialists, Audeliss, who will ensure equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the process. Employee and stakeholder involvement will also be central.

We expect to appoint a permanent Chief Executive and Registrar in July.

Ron Barclay-Smith, Council Chair, said:

“We are seeking an exceptional leader who will drive forward our culture and regulatory transformation.

“The permanent Chief Executive and Registrar will be responsible for achieving the NMC’s strategic priorities, working closely with stakeholders, and ensuring our regulatory functions effectively deliver for both the public and the professions we regulate.

“This is an important opportunity to shape the future of nursing and midwifery regulation in the UK and make lasting change."

Further information:

• The advert and job pack for the NMC Chief Executive and Registrar role can be found online.
• Applications must be submitted by 23:59 on 1 June.

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