The RCN’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place today (10 July) in Manchester where members reflected on a momentous year in the history of the RCN and the nursing profession. They heard discussions about the performance and running of the College and were given a run through of the annual report and financial statements.
They were also given the opportunity to vote on three important resolutions aligned with the RCN’s five-year strategy.
Introducing the resolutions, Vice Chair of RCN Council Paul Vaughan said: “They will provide stability, allow for growth and underpin the changes needed as highlighted in the external reports by KPMG and Bruce Carr KC into the governance and culture of the RCN respectively.”
The first resolution was to extend current RCN Council members’ terms of office for one year. This relates to any Council member whose term of office is due to expire on 31 December 2023, to extend that term of office until 31 December 2024.
The resolution is to help ensure continued stability, allow current Council members to progress work resulting from the Carr and KPMG reviews, deliver the five-year strategy and to avoid an additional set of expensive statutory postal election costs.
The resolution was passed with 82.46% of members who voted supporting the resolution.
The second resolution passed was to allow Council to set subscription rates for a further five years to help ensure the financial stability of the organisation.
On this, Paul said: “Council is not seeking an increase in subscription rates at the present time, and we will continue to do everything we can to deliver effectively and efficiently for members in these challenging times. It is important however, that Council is able to plan the RCN’s finances to provide financial stability and sustainability.”
This resolution was passed with 74.83% of members who voted supporting the resolution.
The third resolution related to the threshold (number of RCN members) needed to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), how requests for EGMs are submitted and verified, and how member resolutions can be submitted to General Meetings which have already been called.
This was a special resolution with three elements requiring a two-thirds majority for each. The first and second elements were related, with the outcome of the first superseding the second if it met the required majority. The first part of the resolution was passed with 82.16% of members who voted supporting the resolution. The third part of the resolution was passed with 85.48% of members who voted supporting the resolution.
This means, going forward, 5% of the total RCN membership will need to support calls for an EGM for it to proceed and a process will be put in place to give members a direct route to submit items and speak to Council directly at their meetings.
Paul said: “The Council I have joined fairly recently is focused on holding the executive to account for the delivery of the RCN’s new strategy, ensuring we deliver together on transformation of our professional union and the sound finances that allow for continued support of members and our future growth.”
RCN members were able to submit questions in advance of the meeting and during it. Topics covered included parity of pay for GP nurses, support for nursing students with a disability, how to reinvigorate the RCN’s branch structure and work to challenge the unethical contracts some internationally educated nurses are coerced into signing.
To find out more and see the full results, visit the AGM section of our website. Answers to questions asked at the AGM will also be uploaded here in due course.
