The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) today (Thursday, 30th June) expressed ‘deep concern’ at the findings of two external reports into corporate governance and financial management at the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) published today.
Peter Hughes, PNA General Secretary Designate, said the published reports make for disturbing reading and raise questions about the levels of oversight and control of the NMBI that allowed practices and procedures to continue unhindered for so long. ‘The PNA was to the forefront in raising questions about corporate governance, staffing and financial management at the NMBI and demanding full disclosure of the findings of reports into the NMBI.
The reports make clear that the failings in governance impacted on the NMBI’s ability to discharge its statutory responsibility.’ ‘Sadly the publication today confirms the PNA’s concerns regarding the operation of the NMBI and are particularly disturbing for nurse registrants who fund the NMBI, and who only a year ago joined a campaign to resist efforts by the NMBI to raise registration fees by 50%.’
Mr. Hughes concluded: ‘Clearly the Department of Health and the former Board have questions to answer on the level of oversight of the NMBI. What is imperative now is that the strongest and most robust standards of management and accountability are put in place by the new NMBI Chief Executive and Board to ensure that the practices revealed in these reports are never repeated.’
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