THE Royal College of Nursing has said the decision by its general secretary Pat Cullen to withdraw from a discussion at Féile an Phobail was a result of her need to attend "urgent meetings" in London.
Ms Cullen had been due to take part in the event titled 'The Health and Care of the Nation' at St Mary's University College, in which healthcare on both sides of the border would be discussed by panel members.
A last-minute withdrawal saw the general secretary replaced with Rita Devlin, the RCN's regional director.
Read More
- Nurses are living in poverty, says RCN chief Pat Cullen
- Nursing leader urges Rishi Sunak to ‘get this job finished' and end strikes
Ms Cullen had been said by Sinn Féin senator Niall Ó Donnghaile to have made comments at a Féile event last week in which it is suggested she claimed she believed "the only hope for the NHS is reunification".
The Choices for Ireland event was addressed by former Labour leader and MP Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Ó Donnghaile attributed the comments to Ms Cullen in a Twitter post.
UUP MLA Alan Chambers has sought clarity from the RCN following the comments claim and said he had been contacted by RCN members following the event, while DUP MP Gregory Campbell said the reported comments were "foolhardy".
On Thursday, an RCN spokesperson said Ms Cullen's decision to withdraw from the panel was due to her need to attend "urgent meetings in London".
