UK Nursing and Midwifery Council increases fees
The UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council has approved its first increase in annual registration fees in more than a decade, raising the fee from £120 to £143 for nurses, midwives, and nursing associates. The decision follows a prolonged fee freeze since 2015, during which the regulator’s income declined significantly in real terms—by roughly 28%—despite substantial growth in the number of registrants and rising demand on its regulatory functions, including fitness-to-practise investigations and education oversight. The NMC indicated that the increase is necessary to restore financial sustainability, reduce reliance on reserves, and fund ongoing transformation efforts aimed at improving regulatory performance, timeliness, and standards. While the increase is relatively modest on a monthly basis, it has prompted concern among some stakeholders about cost pressures on professionals, highlighting the broader challenge regulators face in balancing financial viability with affordability for registrants.