Sister of murdered MP Jo Cox condemns \u2018dreadful\u2019 violence after Trump ally Charlie Kirk killed<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cThe exact reasons were that I had \u2018attitudinal issues,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI now understand that to be that they perceived me to not take responsibility for what I was being accused of, which is very difficult because what I was being accused of hadn’t happened and there was no evidence to suggest it had happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ishbel remains suspended on the grounds she is not considered fit to practise. This is despite never having any near-miss incidents related to her work – which are the events that are typically raised to the regulator. <\/p>\n
She added that the regulator has made several attempts to silence her. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey have postponed or adjourned multiple hearings, which is very unusual. They have not listened to my complaints. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt all comes from me saying that the processes of the NMC are unfair and are impactful to individuals. That’s not just to me – that’s also to around 700 nurses who document and talk about their experiences of the NMC.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it’s vindictive. I think the way that they have made a decision to target me, which I believe is what it has been, has been calculated and malicious.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have uncovered that the NMC and the CQC are collaborating in this attack. The NMC have also brought in other organisations along the way, they have tried to find information that doesn’t exist to discredit me.\u201d<\/p>\n
LBC has seen communications between organisations to support Ishbel\u2019s claims.<\/p>\n
Both the NMC and CQC refused to comment on the specifics of Ishbel\u2019s case. <\/p>\n
The NMC did, however, acknowledge and apologise for the length of time taken to reach decisions in fitness to practise cases. Their spokesperson said: \u201cWe\u2019ve made a substantial investment in an improvement plan, and this year we have been making record numbers of decisions and resolving a greater proportion of cases within our target of 15 months.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have also improved our approach to safeguarding, including launching a Safeguarding Hub \u2013 over the past year this has pre-screened over 5,000 new referrals to our fitness to practise process, and has taken on more than 1,200 of those for a full review to ensure the right steps are taken to keep people from harm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet Cathryn Watters, who heads up the organisation \u2018NMC Watch\u2019, which supports hundreds of nurses and midwives in their dealings with the regulator, argues that the delays faced by Ms Straker are typical. <\/p>\n
\u201cFTP is a very legal process, but it’s not supposed to be,\u201d Ms Watters told LBC. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s supposed to be about how they can demonstrate that they’re fit and proper now – unfortunately, the process, it’s so delayed.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are taking two to five years to go through process, by which time, if they’ve been lucky enough to continue in work, they’ve got past whatever went wrong and demonstrated that they are fit and proper now. [In other cases] they’ve been put into a process for something quite minor but then have been unable to gain any employment during that time, so by the time their case comes to be heard they are unfit to practise, but the process has made them unfit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alarmingly, NMC Watch has been made aware of 33 nurses and midwives dying by suicide during the FTP process since 2016. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey also need to be looking at the numbers of suicides that have happened during FTP and take that seriously,\u201d Ms Watters added. <\/p>\n
Ms Straker\u2019s case has reignited calls for the prime minister to honour a manifesto pledge to introduce the \u2018Hillsborough Law\u2019, which aims to stop big organisations being able to trample over individuals.<\/p>\n
Ian Byrne, the MP for West Derby who has been championing the law\u2019s introduction, told LBC her case is a prime example of why the law is needed. He said: \u201cWhen Ishbel brought it to us it smacked of \u2018what a perfect scenario this is for the Hillsborough Law, and also for an Office of the Whistleblower.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cHow she’s being treated by a major organisation for simply trying to tell the truth about something, and that organisation seemingly coming down so hard on it and potentially trying to destroy you, destroy your career and destroy your life, for simply speaking truth to power, that terrifies me.\u201d <\/p>\n
He added: \u201cWe\u2019re talking about nursing and midwifery, if they’re not learning from mistakes that are getting flagged up and trying to bury the truth, then the service won’t get better, it won’t improve, and I think that’s reflected by some of the reports that are coming from Parliament on the performance of the NMC.<\/p>\n
Sir Keir Starmer has faced pressure to expedite the introduction of the Hillsborough law after failing to meet a pledge to pass the law by April 15th – the 36th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. <\/p>\n
Mr Byrne also added that he believes a public inquiry should be held into the deaths of the 33 nurses: \u201cThe scale of what we\u2019ve seen, the tragic deaths of people who\u2019ve been involved in this process, it\u2019s something Parliament should be looking closely at.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Straker\u2019s lawyer, Clare Fletcher, echoed Mr Byrne\u2019s call for greater protection for whistleblowers. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe need an office of the whistleblower,\u201d she said. \u201cWe need more transparent systems to allow whistleblowing to take place. If you don’t work for an organisation such as the NMC or the CQC, it is incredibly difficult and there are a huge amount of barriers in place to prevent you from whistleblowing. Ishbel is one of hundreds of nurses who are currently suspended whilst awaiting FtP hearings at the NMC at huge personal and professional cost.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NMC themselves have recently commissioned a report to look at their own whistleblowing practises and have not disclosed that report and in fact have recommissioned the report at great expense. That leaves a lot of unanswered questions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat’s in that report? What’s in those findings? We know from contact with the whistleblower involved who’s spoken to the author of the report that in fact, those findings are there and they’re ready. So, what has the NMC got to hide? Who is going to hold the NMC to account?\u201d<\/p>\n
The NMC said in July that its whistleblowing report was recommissioned because of personal reasons relating to the barrister leading the review, that it had not seen any of the findings at that point, and that it hoped to publish the final review this autumn.<\/p>\n
LBC requested clarity from the NMC on a number of issues relating to Ms Straker\u2019s case:<\/p>\n
Confirmation of Ms Straker\u2019s current suspension status.The grounds on which Ms Straker was suspended, and whether the NMC continues to consider her unsafe to practise.Any comment on the handling of her case, particularly the repeated adjournments.How the NMC ensures due diligence when making suspension decisions, and if it feels due diligence has been carried out to the required standard in this case.More broadly, whether the NMC considers itself \u201cfit to practise\u201d in light of repeated findings by the Professional Standards Authority?A response to the ever-growing number of individuals known to have taken their life while going through FTP proceedings, along with a recognised number of suicides since 2016.<\/p>\n
In response the NMC chose not to answer, but said:<\/p>\n
We are one part of the health and care safety system, and our investigations can involve collaboration with organisations including other regulators.We are limited in what we can share about live cases. If and when a case reaches a hearing, this is usually held in public. If at the hearing the panel finds the registrant\u2019s fitness to practise is impaired and imposes a sanction, we will publish the panel\u2019s full determination including the background to the case, the charges and the panel\u2019s rationales for its decisions.You can see a professional\u2019s registration status, including whether they are currently subject to an interim order, by searching their name on our public-facing register.We risk assess fitness to practice (FtP) cases throughout the lifetime of each case. Where there is evidence of an immediate risk to public protection, or it is otherwise in the public interest or the registrant\u2019s own interest, we can apply to a panel to impose an interim order.The NMC does not have the power to impose interim orders summarily \u2013 it is always the decision of a panel.Every IO must be reviewed every six months and we risk assess before applying for an extension.The PSA\u2019s annual review of the NMC\u2019s performance for the period 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2024 reflects the high-profile challenges we faced during that period. We are now under new leadership, with Paul Rees MBE as Chief Executive and Registrar, and Ron Barclay-Smith as our new Chair of Council.Since the start of this year, we have published a three-year Culture Transformation Plan to build a positive, empowering and inclusive culture for NMC colleagues and everyone involved in our regulatory processes.We are also seeing progress from our Fitness to Practise (FtP) Plan \u2013 ensuring that we can continue making decisions that keep people safe, in the most timely and considerate way possible.In July 2025, the rolling monthly average of fitness to practise (FtP) cases resolved within 15 months reached 71% \u2013 up from 60.8 percent in July 2023.We are making record numbers of decisions at screening, the initial assessment stage of the FtP process. In July, the screening caseload dropped below 2,000 \u2013 the lowest level since July 2020.We launched the Safeguarding Hub in September 2024. It has pre-screened 5,113 new referrals and has taken on 1,262 of those for a full review.Since launching the Safeguarding Hub, we have prioritised a stocktake of our safeguarding work to ensure a clear and concise approach to safeguarding across the NMC. As a result, in March 2025 our Council approved a new safeguarding approach and associated principles to help all colleagues identify a potential safeguarding risk.We are currently rolling out mandatory safeguarding e-learning to our entire staff team \u2013 helping all our people to understand, prioritise and embed the safeguarding principles in every aspect of their work.There has been substantial investment in the NMC\u2019s Safeguarding Team. The team works directly with NMC colleagues to support them to manage and respond to any wellbeing or safeguarding risk relating to registrants going through our processes.<\/p>\n
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