On Thursday the 25th of July I made a decision to stand up to my Goliath. The NMC. I do not use this analogy lightly. I use it because of the similarities. What I have experienced, along with many others, is the bullying nature of both the NMC's dismissive discriminatory behaviour towards those that it sees as powerless, and its desire to tear down anything that feels threatening regardless of the impact.
After 4 years of discrimination, I sent a letter to the current CEO of the NMC. I say current, because since its internal enquiry in March 2024, the NMC are now on their 3rd appointment. The letter was responded to in a predictable manner, but I stood by what I had said and felt strength by the amazing support of Equality for Black Nurses, who are sadly, well versed in situations such as mine.
I made the decision to ‘do the right thing’ despite my communication with the NMC and attend the planned hearing on the 6th of August, nearly 4 months following a transparently vexatious claim. I highlight this because the desire to eradicate risk is flawed based on the pace at which the NMC choose to move. So, I attend the hearing, expectant of very little, and Goliath did not fail to live up to this expectation. Due to my refusal to accept fault, and my firm stance on justice, they miscarried it. The NMC solicitor himself stated I had ‘attitudinal issues’ and that I was aggressive. At this point I had never even presented to the panel, and this person had never met nor spoken to me at any time. ALL he had seen, despite its confidential nature, was the letter I had written in good faith to the NMCs CEO. My legal representation was horrified by the NMCs behaviour towards me, along with what is in my opinion their clear racially motivated response.
So, as I write this, I feel a sadness of my experience because it is the experience of hundreds of others who look like me. However, I made a vow on the 25th of July, that from that point on I would make it my purpose to be the voice of the voiceless. To stand for what is right and not to hide in the supposed shame or fear of what i feel is the imposing institutional racism of the NMC. I made a decision to speak out on my experiences of this abhorrent process and speak for those who have no ability to do so, because they are disempowered by the NMC. I made a decision to be entirely open and use that experience to expose and dismantle the corrupt behaviour of an organisation that is supposed to protect the public, and fails to do so with its mis directional agenda and racist core. I feel a sense of safety because my staff, patients and business are safeguarded from the NMCs behaviour, but the lone nurse, lost in these institutional and systemic racist bullying processes, are not.
So, Dear NMC, thank you for the opportunity to unshackle myself from you, empowering me to take the stand fearlessly against you, for those you have silenced.
Please click here to read my open letter to the NMC.