Published: 20 November 2006
Registration or Highway Robbery?
Plans to increase the registration fee for the Nursing and Midwifery Council by 86% is ‘a tax on jobs’ for the already hard-pressed nursing profession.
In its consultation document, the NMC proposed a hike from £43 to £80 a year which Amicus/the Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association said, in its response, was unacceptable.
Karen Reay, Amicus/CPHVA Director, said:
“We would favour a gradual increase over a number of years, particularly as many health visitors and community nurses work part-time, yet they are being asked to pay the same thumping increase as full-time nurses”.
While acknowledging that the NMC has set-up a call centre to improve communications with members, needs additional money to tackle the backlog of ‘fitness to practice’ cases and inherited a dire financial situation from its predecessor - the UKCC, Amicus/CPHVA thinks that such a large increase in one go is unfair.
Amicus/CPHVA also wants to know why every nurse in the UK will be paying £10 a year for what is described as ‘compliance with Charity Commission financial best practice’ – an estimated figure of more than £6 million a year.
The fee increase includes more than £1 million a year earmarked for the upkeep & maintenance of its central London headquarters which seems ‘excessive and grandiose’.
Amicus/CPHVA also questions the NMC Council’s demand for a fee increase to provide ‘adequate funds’ against ‘future uncertainties.’ (Especially, one would have thought, at a time when thousands of nurses, health visitors, etc. are facing an uncertain future regarding their jobs with NHS Trusts).
Amicus/CPHVA believes that this is ‘a blank cheque’ and that the NMC should provide greater clarification about what this contingency fund will entail.
Further information
Amicus/CPHVA
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