NMC comments on fees petition reaching 100,000 signatures

The Nursing and Midwifery Council comments on the e-petition 'No to proposed increase in fees for Nurses and Midwives' which reached 100,000 signatures today.

“We note today’s news that the petition 'No to proposed increase in fees for Nurses and Midwives' has hit the 100,000 signatures mark.

“When we consulted on the registration fee in 2012, we made it clear that we needed a fee of £120 per registrant, based on our financial assumptions at the time. The government grant of £20 million enabled us to maintain the fee at £100 for two years. Nothing has changed since then and we believe the assumptions we made at the time remain the same, which is why we are about to consult on increasing the fee by £20.

“Nurses and midwives are not alone in paying a registration fee. All 36 of the regulated healthcare professionals, including dental nurses and doctors, pay a registration fee to their regulator. Fees for other healthcare profession regulators range from between £160 for two years to over £700 annually.”

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Notes for editors

1.   The Nursing and Midwifery Council exists to protect the public. We do this by ensuring that only those who meet our requirements are allowed to practise as a nurse or midwife in the UK. We take action if concerns are raised about whether a nurse or midwife is fit to practise.

2.   For media enquiries, please contact Madeleine Childs at madeleine.childs@nmc-uk.org or on 020 7681 5936.