So, Margaret Haywood, the nurse who secretly filmed abuse of elderly patients at the Royal Brighton Hospital has been struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
The decision makes no sense to most people. What Margaret Haywood did was so manifestly in the public interest, so the decision to strike her off looks bizarre. Of course, we should never, ever make the mistake that professional bodies like the NMC are there to protect the interests of the public, despite what they might say on their websites. They exist solely to protect their members - that goes without saying. And if their members are abusing patients then they will protect them just the same. In these circumstances Margaret Haywood was probably expendable.
There's another interesting facet to the NMC though. Although it is a charity, the NMC doesn't appear to be a candidate for fakecharities.org - its income seems to be derived almost entirely legitimately, from membership fees and so on. But tucked away in the notes to its accounts is this interesting fact:
The Nursing and Midwifery Council is accountable to the Privy Council. The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 sets out the nature of the relationship between the NMC and the Privy Council and the reporting mechanisms required. Whilst not accountable to the Department of Health, the NMC has regular contact with the Department on policy and other matters.
Could this explain the bizarre decision in the Haywood case?