Royal College of Nursing ends partnership with Teva UK

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), representing over 500,000 nurses in the United Kingdom, has terminated its commercial partnership with Teva UK, the British arm of the Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva Pharmaceuticals.

The decision follows sustained pressure from campaign groups, including Nurses for Palestine and UK Healthcare Petitions to Royal Colleges. These groups raised concerns regarding the company’s links to the Israel Defense Forces and its record of corporate misconduct, including past legal sanctions and public scrutiny regarding its global operations.

Carmel O’Boyle, chair of the RCN’s ruling council, confirmed the decision in a letter, stating that further due diligence revealed operations that were not in line with the values of the RCN and its publishing arm, RCNi. As a result, Teva UK will no longer sponsor the RCNi nursing leadership summit on migraine and headache services scheduled for October 30. The RCN has also announced a comprehensive review of its commercial partnership policy.