The UK-based Royal College of Nursing withdrew the sponsorship support provided by Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva UK for the RCNi Nursing Leadership Summit, scheduled for October 30. The institution cited the company’s links to the Israeli military as the reason for its decision.
Royal College of Nursing Council President Carmel O’Boyle communicated the decision in a letter dated September 23. The letter stated that the commercial partnership with Teva UK had been terminated.
Ethical standards to be reviewed
The Nurses 4 Palestine group in the UK said O’Boyle had conveyed the decision to them. The group said it had been campaigning for nursing organisations to sever ties with companies linked to Israel.
Nurses 4 Palestine said the Royal College of Nursing was also reviewing Teva Pharmaceuticals’ activities worldwide. The group said the review assessed activities that had been subject to legal sanctions and intense public scrutiny, and concluded that the company was incompatible with the ethical standards of the nursing profession.
The Royal College of Nursing also announced that it would launch a comprehensive review to strengthen its commercial partnership policy. It said the decision-making process took into account evidence presented in an open letter published by campaign groups on September 10.
Nurses 4 Palestine argued that collective action by healthcare workers could produce results against institutional inertia and prevent companies from attempting to launder their reputations.
