§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to prevent the General Nursing Council from doubling the fees to be paid by student or pupil nurses; if he will change the practice whereby fees have to be paid before nurses receive their first pay cheque; if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table of fees showing the amount of increases now coming into force; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonNo. The General Nursing Council for England and Wales is an independent statutory body which, under the terms of the Nurses Acts, is required to be self-supporting. Its main sources of income are the fees charged to candidates for its examination and their subsequent registration or enrolment. The fees have
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LIST OF REVISED FEES CHARGED BY THE GENERAL NURSING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Old fee New fee Increase (rounded to nearest whole number) £ £ Per cent. Admission to the Index of Student or Pupil Nurses 1 2* 100 Examination of Student Nurses: First entry … … 6.30 10† 59 Re-entry … … 6.30 7† 11 Part only … … 4.20 7† 7 Assessment of Pupil Nurses: First entry … … 5.25 8† 52 Re-entry … … 3 6† 100 Admission to the Register of Nurses: Initial registration … … 6.30 10 59 Reciprocal registration … … 2.10 to 8.40 5 138 to 40 (reduction) Re-inclusion in register … … 5.25 to10.50 5 5 (reduction) to 110 (reduction) RMPA certificate … … 3.15 5 59 Restoration following removal for disciplinary reasons. 5.25 5 5 (reduction) Trained outside the United Kingdom … … 9.45 9 5 (reduction) Admission to the Roll of Nurses: Initial enrolment … … 6.30 9.50 51 Reciprocal enrolment … … 2.10 to 8.40 5 138 to 40 (reduction) Re-inclusion … … 4.20 to 9.45 5 19 to 47 (reduction) Restoration following removal for disciplinary reasons. 4.20 5 19 Badge fee: Amendment of name … … 0.25 2 700 Prior to 1950 badge … … 0.37 4 980 Miscellaneous Fees: Registration as Nurse Tutor … … 5.25 5 5 (reduction) Registration as Clinical Nurse Teacher … … 5.25 5 5 (reduction) Reciprocal registration as Nurse Tutor … … 0.53 5 843 Reciprocal registration as Clinical Nurse Teacher … 0.53 5 843 remained unchanged since 1966. I am satisfied that the revised fees, which will take effect from successive dates after 1st July 1973, are the lowest ones which are acceptable in the General Nursing Council's present financial circumstances.
I am arranging for employing authorities to meet 50 per cent. of the new fee for entry to the Index of Student or Pupil Nurses and 75 per cent. of the examination or the assessment fee, as the case may be. The effect of this measure will be that the actual amount paid by the student nurse for the examination and registration and by the pupil nurse for assessment and enrolment will be very slightly less than it is at present.
I have no evidence to suggest that financial hardship is being caused by the payment by a student or pupil nurse of the £1 index fee payable shortly after entry to nurse training school.
Following is the information:
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Old fee New fee Increase (rounded to nearest whole number) £ £ Per cent. Duplicate certificates: Registered nurses … … … … 1.05 2 90 Registered nurse tutors … … … … 1.05 2 90 Registered clinical teachers … … … … 1.05 2 90 Enrolled nurses … … … … 1.05 2 90 Duplicate badges: Registered nurses … … … … 1.05 4 280 Enrolled nurses … … … … 1.05 4 280 *50 per cent paid by hospital authorities. †75 per cent paid by hospital authorities. The amounts of the new fees have been calculated by reference to the actual cost of the service being provided.