 The first General Secretary was Archibald Milne, an Assistant General Relieving Officer at Willsden Board of Guardians, but he was soon replaced by Vincent Evans.The union developed a unique and successful sectional or "guild" system of union organisation, the most successful of which was the NUCO's Guild of Nurses, set up in October 1937.However, the union also had "guilds" for medical staff, ambulance staff and ancillary staff.