Health trade unions have condemned proposals by the Nursing and Midwifery Council to increase the annual registration fee for nurses and midwives by more than 58%.
The RCM, RCN, UNISON and Unite say the proposed increase is excessive and unacceptable and that nurses and midwives will be the ones to pay for the failings and poor financial management of the NMC.
We believe it is inappropriate to seek such an increase when nurses and midwives are already seeing multiple assaults on their pay packets. They are two years into a pay freeze, are experiencing significant increases in their pension payments for what will be smaller pensions and, the cost of living is increasing. This is an initiative that is both badly timed and poorly thought through.
Serious questions need to be asked of the NMC and of the Government as to how this situation has been allowed to develop unchecked. Registration fees should only ever be increased once all alternative options have been exhausted.
We support the principle of profession-led regulation squarely aimed at protecting the public. We realise that the NMC is in a difficult position and that it cannot fulfil its remit with its current finances. However, it should not be the hard pressed registrants who pay for the financial failings of the organisation.
It is the Government that should be supporting the NMC to do this, not allowing the NMC to take it straight out of the pockets of nurses and midwives. This is vital to protect the public, self regulation and nurses and midwives.
The NMC should be seeking to manage the organisation and its finances effectively, not increasing the financial burden on our members. We all remain committed to working with the NMC to find solutions and will be using the consultation period to exhaust all other options.
ENDS
