World’s largest nursing union accused of financial ties to genocide-linked companies

This article was updated at 9pm on Tuesday 27 January to reflect a comment from the RCN

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the world’s largest nursing union and professional body. But campaigners believe the RCN is investing in companies involved in Israel’s genocide, occupation and apartheid. This would be a breach of its own ethical and professional codes of conduct.

Nurses4Palestine is a coalition of UK-based nurses actively campaigning for the justice and liberation of allied healthcare workers in Palestine. It has produced a report along with the campaign UK Healthcare Petitions to Royal Colleges, and support from Corporate Watch.

Nurses union subs funding genocide?

The RCN has reassured members that their fees aren’t funding companies complicit in war crimes. But both its investment managers have holdings in controversial companies that have been named directly in the Special Rapporteur’s report in June 2025. These include Palantir, Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin, Vanguard and Blackrock.

The report shows that the RCN has knowingly maintained an investment relationship with Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) and Sarasins. Several UK human rights organisations have identified LGIM as a major investor in arms companies supplying weapons to Israel, including during the current genocide in Gaza.

The RCN has refused to say which companies it invests in. But it claims a commitment to “social responsibility”. And it says it doesn’t invest in arms manufacturers.

A spokesperson said:

We are committed to social responsibility and choose not to invest in companies involved in weapons manufacturing or ethically unacceptable practices, including human rights breaches.

Our ethical policy is reviewed regularly to ensure the highest standards are maintained. Despite the globalised nature of investments, our indirect exposure – to companies that we may not directly invest in – is a fraction of a single percentage.

As a professional body, we stand in solidarity with civilians and health workers in the region and condemn in the strongest terms attack against them, most recently calling on the UK Government to back war crimes prosecutions for those responsible. The UN commission’s report finds that Israel has implemented a concerted policy to destroy the health care system of Gaza, and the RCN is gravely concerned by these findings.

Dialogue with Nurses for Palestine is ongoing and we will continue to offer to meet with them.

However, the Nurses4Palestine report says that regardless of its own specific holdings, the RCN should look at its fund managers’ practices in the round. The RCN says it will continue discussions with the campaign group.

A spokesperson for Nurses4Palestine said:

While Palestinian hospitals are bombed and nurses are killed, RCN members’ fees are being funnelled into companies financing those very weapons.

The RCN cannot claim moral leadership or professional integrity while investing in genocide. Nurses’ fees should not bankroll oppression. We demand full divestment now.

Featured image via the Canary