Health unions condemn registration fee rise plans

Published: 01 June 2012

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.

For more information contact the RCM Press Office on 020 7312 3456, pressofficer@rcm.org.uk, the Unite press office on 020 3371 2065 , the UNISON press office c.jeffries@unison.co.uk or call 020 7121 5466 , or the RCN press office on 020 7647 3635.

Notes to editors

The Unite health sector embraces the Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association; the Society of Sexual Health Advisers; and the Mental Health Nurses Association, whose members are all covered by the NMC. Unite has 100,000 members in the health service. www.unitetheunion.org

UNISON is Britain and Europe's biggest public sector union with more than 1.3 million members. Our members are people working in the public services, for private contractors providing public services and in the essential utilities. They include frontline staff and managers working full or part time in local authorities, the NHS, the police service, colleges and schools, the electricity, gas and water industries, transport and the voluntary sector. Last year UNISON recruited 137,000 new members - 375 per day.

The Royal College of Midwives is the voice of midwifery. We are the UK’s only trade union and professional organisation led by midwives for midwives. The vast majority of the midwifery profession are our members. The RCM promotes midwifery, quality maternity services and professional standards. We support and represent our members individually and collectively in all four UK countries. We influence on behalf of our members and for the interests of the women and families for which they care. For more information visit the RCM website at www.rcm.org.uk.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nursing staff and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.