NURSES and midwives could soon be hit with higher registration fees for the first time in a decade.

The governing body of regulator the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which all nurses and midwives must register with to practice legally, will be asked next week to approve a public consultation over increasing its fee, which has been frozen since 2015.

NMC chief executive Paul Rees said: “The intention of the freeze was to help nursing and midwifery professionals at a time of a cost-of-living crisis and high inflation. 

“At the same time, it has seen our income contract by 28 per cent in real terms – and will equate to £180 million in lost income up to the end of the current financial year.”

The NMC says that it has had to propose cutting 145 roles to reduce costs.

Unison head of health Helga Pile said: “Forcing nurses and midwives to pay higher fees simply to do their jobs when inflation and food prices squeeze their earnings is unfair. 

“Any increase will place an extra financial burden on an already undervalued and underpaid nursing workforce.”