Nurses set to withhold regulatory body fees to force publication of reviews

Nurses and midwives look set to hold off on paying their €100 annual retention fee to their regulatory body, which is due from the beginning of January, until it publishes highly critical reports into the operation of the organisation.

The first of two reports into the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), by consultants Crowe Horwath, has found that it was "not operating effectively or efficiently in all of its functional areas – registration, fitness to practice, education and corporate services".

It said it was apparent that a comprehensive overhaul of the NMBI’s structure was required.

The report also maintained urgent attention was required in relation to its financial position “specifically with regard to its financial forecasts over the next three years, its income projections and its expenditure budget”. The NMBI said its legal advice was that the full report could not be published.

A second report, by consultants BDO, looking at NMBI adherence to public- service procurement and HR policies, is under way.

The NMBI said that early work from the BDO review had identified the necessity for it “ to ensure full compliance with all public service policies”.

The Department of Health said the NMBI had given it a copy of the Crowe Horwath report and the latest version of the BDO report.

The Department of Health said it was “concerned” at the findings of the Crowe Horwath review.

“The Department has been and will continue to work closely with the board of the NMBI to see these recommendations fully implemented as a matter of urgency, with appropriate reporting on progress and evaluation of outcomes.”

It said it wanted the NMBI to publish the reports as soon as legally possible.

The executive of the largest nursing union, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation is to meet on Tuesday to consider developments at the NMBI.

It is understood that it will look at urging nurses to hold off on paying their registration fee for the present until details of the reports, particularly in relation to spending, procurement and pay issues, are published.

The Psychiatric Nurses Association said given that both reports had been funded by nurse registrants of the NMBI "it is totally unacceptable that the Board is publishing only the reports' recommendations".

The association's general secretary -designate Peter Hughes said: "The recommendations in the Crowe - Horwarth Report set out major challenges for the NMBI across the whole area of corporate governance, staffing and financial management. Nurse registrants have paid for these reports and are entitled to know the full findings behind these recommendations. They are rightly asking what was so wrong at the NMBI that has resulted in such dramatic recommendations from the consultants. We can only know that with the publication of the reports in their entirety."