Catalogue description General Nursing Council for England and Wales and Committees: Election Papers

The constitution of the General Nursing Council was established by the Nurses Registration Act 1919, whose schedule provided for the nomination of twenty five members of the first council to be nominated by the Ministry of Health, the Board of Education and the Privy Council.

The term of office of the first council was to be not less than two and not more than three years from the date of the passing of the Act (December 23rd 1919), and at the end of that time a new council would come into being. After the first council, members would hold office for five years. Elections to the council were accordingly held at the beginning of 1923, the end of 1927, 1932 and 1937. The 1944 elections were postponed because of the war, and the 1950 ones were postponed due to complications arising from the Nurses Act 1949. They recommenced in 1955 and subsequently took place in 1965, 1970 and 1975.