The new Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) interim chief executive Paul Rees should work with nurses’ unions to transform the UK nursing regulator’s culture and performance, a union leader has urged. An independent review found the organisation has a toxic culture that poses risks for nurses, nursing associates and public safety. The founder of a nurses’ campaign group shares doubts about what the new head can achieve during a one-year interim term, given the scale of improvement required in the NMC’s fitness to practise processes.