RCN members ‘overwhelmingly opposed’ to NMC fee hike

Published: 24 August 2012

For immediate release: Friday 24 August 2012

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members have given a resounding ‘no’ to proposals from the regulator, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to increase fees by 58 per cent. More than 85,000 responses were received to the RCN’s recent survey, of which 99.3 per cent were opposed to the increase.

The RCN today submitted its response to an NMC consultation on plans which would see mandatory fees for registering increase by 58 per cent from £76 to £120 a year. Nurses have to register with the NMC every year, leading to a considerable financial burden for nurses who are already feeling the strain of a pay freeze and increased pension contributions. As well as opposing the increase in fee, the RCN is also reiterating its calls that the NMC conduct a full independent financial audit. This suggestion has been backed by the Secretary of State and the RCN believes it is now time for the NMC to fully investigate how it, as a body with a fixed income, has lost control of its finances.

The survey also looked at other funding methods for professional regulation and asked nurses whether or not they think the Government should contribute to the running of the NMC, to which 87 per cent said that it should. More than eight in ten (80 per cent) members did not think that the NMC should still be expected to pay over £800,000 towards the running of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence. Today’s consultation response says this shows ‘very clearly’ that registrants do not think it is for them to bear the sole responsibility of ‘bailing out’ the NMC.

RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter, said:

“RCN members have clearly stated that they oppose moves by the NMC to pass on the costs of a financial crisis which is not of their making. Nurses are already in the midst of a two year pay freeze and face increased pension contributions and a rising cost of living. They shouldn’t have to pay almost 60 per cent more just to maintain their livelihood. Our members have also been clear in their concerns about the NMC’s position more generally, and will need some assurance that their registration fees are going into a well-run, robust regulator and not disappearing into an abyss.”

The RCN’s full response to the NMC’s consultation contains the views of members surveyed, including those expressing their own distress and horror at the proposals.

One member told us:
“I feel we are being asked to pay for mismanagement of finances within the NMC and this is not fair. If we were to mismanage our budgets or patient care we would be held accountable and responsible…”

Another said:
“The NMC should not ask to increase fees until they can show that they are more efficient and effective and provide an appropriate service for the fee we pay already.”

The RCN also believes that the NMC’s current consultation process could be undermined by a failure to commission a full financial audit, called for by the RCN and other unions and formally requested by the Secretary of State Andrew Lansley. The RCN is urging the NMC to commission such an audit as soon as possible and to give stakeholders such as the RCN the opportunity to comment on its terms of reference.

Dr Peter Carter added:
“We welcome the fact that a new NMC Chair has been appointed, and we will be engaging with the NMC on behalf of our members as soon as possible. It’s alarming that an organisation with a guaranteed level of funding has been able to get into this position in the first place and along with the Secretary of State we have pushed for a full financial audit of the NMC. We would urge the NMC to take heed of this and get its financial house in order before asking for additional funds.”

Ends

Notes for Editors

The survey was open and advertised to members for six weeks from mid-June to the end of July.
You can read the full consultation response here - http://frontlinefirst.rcn.org.uk/rcn-response

Members were asked the following four questions:

• Do you think that that the NMC registration fee should be increased from £76 to £120 a year? Yes/No
• Do you agree that, in future, the level of registration fee should go up in line with inflation every year? Yes/No
• The NMC is funded by nurses just like you. Do you think the Government should contribute to paying for the running of the NMC? Yes /No
• The NMC is expected to pay over £800,000 towards the running of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (a body which oversees all the health professional regulators. Do you support this payment? Yes/No
For further information, interviews or illustrations please contact the RCN Media Office on 0207 647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/media
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 nurses 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.