A major nursing conference has been moved online following serious allegations of sexual harassment.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said its 2021 Congress would now be held virtually in order to safeguard attendees.
In a message to members, it said it had a “zero tolerance” policy with such complaints and would be making a “cultural change” to the college.
The RCN did not elaborate on the specifics of the allegations, but revealed it had sought independent legal advice and was urgently reviewing its safeguarding policies and procedures.
Carol Popplestone, chair of the RCN Council, said: “We have acted fast and took a unanimous decision that protects all attendees.
“We know that many members planning to attend were looking forward to seeing each other in person for the first time in two years.
“But this decision was made with members’ safety at the top of our minds. That is what we are here to safeguard at all costs.
“I am absolutely determined that Congress will still be its usual fascinating mix of debates, events and speeches. Getting together virtually won’t stand in the way of that.”
The RCN Congress is an annual conference which brings together nursing professionals to discuss key issues affecting their industry, and to vote on resolutions which impact the way the RCN operates.
This year’s congress had been scheduled to take place at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool.
The centre is part of the Liverpool event campus, consisting of a convention centre, arena and exhibition centre. It includes a 1,350 seat Auditorium, 21 breakout rooms and a multi-purpose hall with 3,725m2 of additional exhibition space and an 11,000 capacity arena.
Topics of discussion to be explored this year include the impact of Covid-19 on the nursing workforce and the need to ensure employment policies support staff with long Covid, as well as inequalities in the diagnosis and treatment of patients from different ethnic backgrounds, and the impact of digital consultations on nursing and health care.
The RCN said “logistical details” for those who had booked to attend the congress in person would be available next week.
In a statement on its website this week, it wrote: “In light of serious allegations of sexual harassment and after independent legal advice, elected members of the RCN Council met and decided the best way to safeguard members attending Congress is to move this year’s meeting to a fully virtual event.
“As a matter of urgency, RCN is undertaking a full review of all safeguarding policies and procedures as part of our cultural change.
“We take a zero tolerance approach to such allegations at all times. This decision is only one part of the RCN’s response and the organisation is committed to proactively addressing concerns wherever they arise.”
The RCN said it could not provide further details about the allegations at this point, and its members would be the first to know if there were any developments.
