Alarm At Registration Fee Rise
August 3rd 2006
Nurses are facing a massive increase in the costs of fees to their regulatory body, it has been revealed.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council proposes an 86 per cent increase in fees next year.
An NMC spokesman said the fee had not been changed since 2004.
He said : "Over the past four years, the NMC has implemented efficiency measures, cut operating costs and absorbed rising business costs. We’ve worked hard to meet our legal responsibilities within the confines of the tough financial recovery plan that was put in place to manage the difficult financial position we inherited from the previous regulator, the UKCC.
" Whilst the registration fee has remained unchanged since 2004, the cost of delivering our statutory functions has continued to rise."
Royal College of Nursing general secretary Dr Beverly Malone, pictured, condemned the rise as too "sharp".
She said: "We recognise that the Nursing and Midwifery Council has made great strides in efficiency savings. Also, we are pleased that nurses will be able to pay the registration fee monthly.
"However, nurses will be extremely concerned about a possible 86 per cent increase in their professional registration fee. Such a sharp rise is difficult to justify and the NMC risk losing the goodwill of the profession if it implements this. "
She added "I would also question the timing of this consultation with the NMC currently subject to a review of its roles and function."
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