The Nursing and Midwifery Council has announced its recently appointed interim chief executive has resigned before starting the role.

Last week, the nursing regulator announced Dawn Brodrick, chief people officer and lead director at the Crown Prosecution Service, would be taking over as interim chief executive and registrar from Andrea Sutcliffe, who has stepped down due to ill-health.

But the charity said on Tuesday that Brodrick, who was due to take up the role today, had subsequently decided she would not be taking up the role.

“We are moving ahead urgently with the appointment of an interim chief executive and registrar to provide stability for the organisation,” the NMC said.

“As part of that we are reflecting on what has happened over the past week and how we can improve the process.”

The charity said it would continue to recruit an interim chief executive and registrar.

It said that Helen Herniman would be acting chief executive at the charity while the latest recruitment process takes place. 

Herniman is the executive director of resources and technology services at the NMC and is the executive lead for the people and culture review investigations.

In October, the Charity Commission opened a regulatory compliance case into the NMC amid “serious concerns” about its governance.

A Charity Commission spokesperson said: “We have an ongoing compliance case into the Nursing and Midwifery Council and continue to engage with the charity’s trustees.”