NMCWatch seeks to support nurses and midwives, and other healthcare professionals, going through Fitness to Practice investigations by their regulator. Our podcast offers some of those who have been through FtP a space to tell their side of the story; to honestly and openly tell us about the impact of this process and how they have come out of it.
Host Cathryn Watters, NMCWatch founder, went through her own investigation and brings her experience of that process along with those of all the nurses and midwives she has supported since, to create an expert, informed, friendly listen.
https://nmcwatch.org.uk/
support@nmcwatch.org.uk
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Cathryn talks to Lucas, good friend of Jan Tari, an NMC whistleblower in whose name NMCWatch have set up a fund to help those in need of mental health crisis support.
You can donate to the fund at https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-jan-tari-memorial-fund (https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-jan-tari-memorial-fund)
Listen to when Cathryn spoke to Jan in 2025 https://shows.acast.com/nmcwatch-podcast/episodes/the-ex-nmc-data-analyst-whistleblower (https://shows.acast.com/nmcwatch-podcast/episodes/the-ex-nmc-data-analyst-whistleblower)
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3 Mar 2026
Laura Hindle - one year on
A year on from her successful appeal against sanctions by the NMC, we catch up with Laura to see how life is now.
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Is this the NMC trying to bury more bad news (the week before parliament go on holiday)? The NMC has "recommissioned" the report that Ijeoma Omambala KC started in November 2023 - 20 months ago. Is this the NMC dragging their heals again? Have they even bothered trying to make any of the changes the Rise Associates report recommended last year? Want to know what a reverse ferret is? It's all in this short but sharp episode of the NMCWatch Podcast.
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8 Apr 2025
Laura's successful appeal against NMC sanctions - part 2
This is Part 2 of Cathryn's chat with Laura Hindle about her successful appeal hearing against the NMC.
They talk about NMC accountability and how frustrating it can be to deal with them. They also talk about the challenges Laura faced during her case and the support she got from both her legal team at the RCN, as well as NMCWatch.
The conversation then broadens out talking about process and accountability changes needed at the NMC.
Again, if you have any comments about Laura’s case or your own, or just want to speak to somebody, please get in touch via our website - NMCWatch.org.uk (http://nmcwatch.org.uk/) - and you can find us on most social media platforms - links are on the website.
Part 1 of this podcast, if you missed it, is here https://shows.acast.com/nmcwatch-podcast/episodes/lauras-successful-appeal-against-nmc-sanctions-part-1 (https://shows.acast.com/nmcwatch-podcast/episodes/lauras-successful-appeal-against-nmc-sanctions-part-1)
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1 Apr 2025
Laura's successful appeal against NMC sanctions - part 1
A now all too familiar case of a vexatious referral that could have been dealt with far more efficiently by the NMC, and at far less cost.
Laura Hindle successfully appealed her sanctions against the NMC.
Watch out for part 2 of this podcast next week.
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25 Mar 2025
The ex-NMC data analyst whistleblower
John tells Cathryn about his time as a data analyst at NMC, how his concerns over their data handling were raised from early on, and how he was treated as an unwitting whistleblower and finally squeezed out of his job.
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12 Sept 2024
No case to answer after NMC panel member refers colleague
Francis was referred to the NMC by one of its own FTP panel members. Four years later his case was closed with No Case To Answer.
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25 Sept 2023
Our Buddy scheme
Cathryn speaks to three people who help make the Buddy Scheme at NMCWatch a functioning, unique and extraordinary service.
They talk about why the scheme is so necessary. How it helps nurses and midwives get through FTP and how it helps the Buddies themselves move on from their own FTP experiences - therapy for the therapists, you might say.
So, have a listen, and if it moves you to want to become a Buddy, do get in touch with us as we’re always looking for more people to join us.
https://nmcwatch.org.uk/buddy-hold-my-hand/
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9 May 2023
Voluntary/Agreed Removal - Round table discussion
Our panel of experts sat down to discuss the new NMC policy of Agreed Removal, replacing Voluntary Removal.
Cathryn Watters is NMCWatch's Founder and CEO.
Pat Dwan is NMCWatch's CiC committee chair.
Simon Holborn is our Director of FtP and HR lead.
Trish is one of our NMCWatch Group admins and has her own FtP experience.
Read more:
https://www.nmc.org.uk/ftp-library/case-management/agreed-removal/how-does-the-agreed-removal-process-work/
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12 Dec 2022
Too many lawyers in FtP regulation?
Kenny was born into the Irish immigrant community in London, growing up on a council estate. He was in foster care until he was about 8, served in the British military for 7 years and has worked in the drug and alcohol field in various roles since 1993. A few years ago Kenny contacted NMCWatch for help with his restoration hearing following strike-off 5 years previously. Since then, Kenny has been an active member of NMCWatch and is our safeguarding lead. He has completed his first revalidation since being restored to the register and his career is going from strength to strength.
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5 Dec 2022
How qualified are FtP investigators?
Ian Hynes has over 40 years of international investigative experience, and is a world-leading expert and an award-winning practitioner of investigation, particularly the ‘science of investigative interviewing’.
He was the Strategic Investigation Interview Manager for a major UK police force for 12 years until August 2014 during which time he authored investigation policy, developed practice, and had responsibility for competencies and standards, reviewing investigations globally. His investigation strategies and tactics have withstood challenge and scrutiny from the highest courts in the UK and beyond. A number of those strategies concerned serious criminality and misconduct in healthcare settings.
It was during this time that his interest in FTP investigation was ‘piqued’, observing first-hand serious miscarriages of justice both criminally and civilly, alongside plummeting investigation standards.
Driven by those experiences, in 2014 Ian founded Intersol Global, a company with a clear philosophy and values that recognise just how poor investigation practice can destroy lives, livelihoods, and careers. With his team, he set about applying investigation standards and competencies that were relevant and proportionate to the civil sector, including FTP investigation.
Intersol Global are now a team of over 40 of the most qualified and experienced civil investigators in the UK and train, qualify, advise, and conduct workplace discipline investigation across several sectors, including healthcare. Recognising that FTP panels make decisions based entirely on meaningful reliable detail and accuracy, they developed and deliver the only externally regulated qualification in the world to conduct workplace investigation meetings (investigative interviewing).
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28 Nov 2022
Paul's defence of ill-advised referral
Paul Turner qualified as a mental health nurse in 1987 and went on to specialise in the treatment of people with alcohol problems. After leaving the NHS in 2003 to focus on a non-health-related business, Paul did a Return to Practice Course in 2014 in order to get back to treating people for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) privately. In large parts of the UK, people find it very difficult to find suitable and effective help for this disorder and over 8000 people a year die from it. Few resources are made available, leaving a gap which Paul aims to fill.
In 2016, an NHS nurse discovered that Paul and his nurse prescriber colleague had been treating a patient with an alcohol home detox and decided that they shouldn't have been doing this. She referred them both to the NMC, stating that they were 'working outside their remit.' She made no effort to contact either of them and, even now, Paul has never had a conversation with the nurse. Her referral was full of evidence of her own shortcomings with regard to her knowledge of this area of practice. She even admitted to the NMC that she had never conducted an alcohol detox, despite being employed as an alcohol specialist nurse.
The NMC regarded the allegations as serious and Paul and his colleague had to attend Interim Order Hearings where they both received a 'no interim order'. A year later, after very little had been done in terms of an investigation, they were both given a 'no case to answer' verdict. Along the way were some strange events, including Paul being asked by the NMC to find an alcohol expert who could advise them regarding his own case about the work he was doing.
Since the FtP process, Paul’s colleague has stopped working independently due to the trauma of what happened. Although Paul has built a working relationship with a private GP and also become qualified to prescribe himself, he still suffers from anxiety and stress.
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21 Nov 2022
Barbara wants to clear her name
Barbara was 63 years old when she was first referred to the NMC. The allegation was sexual assault, the referrer also contacted the police. The alleged incident occurred in 2018 and while the police dropped the case after 3 weeks, the NMC took 33 months.
Finally, after ten days of hearings spread over seven months, including many adjournments, the NMC produced an application to withdraw the case through lack of evidence. While it was a huge relief to Barbara to have the case closed, it showed us, once again, about the conduct of the NMC legal team and the need for better transparency around evidence.
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14 Nov 2022
Paul’s appeal after strike off
Paul is a midwife working independently and in various government hospitals in the UK, NZ, Australia, Asia etc. Paul trained in law and mediation. He lectures on midwifery, law, and human rights in childbirth globally, including in Russia, China, India, Europe, etc. He is a neonatal intensive care nurse and provides newborn feeding support including tongue-tie release (frenulotomy). He has a special interest in twins as he and his sons are identical twins. He has been working with birth for over thirty years and is now writing and film-making on global human rights and childbirth choices. He is focused on the next generations and women's choices. He has a daughter who is his greatest teacher.
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Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100
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Social presence
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YouTube
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