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GMC to freeze annual registration fees

GMC to freeze annual registration fees
6 December 2012



The General Medical Council (GMC) has announced it is to freeze its annual fees at £390 for licensed doctors during 2013.

The freeze in the regulator’s annual retention fee for doctors holding registration with a licence to practise follows a reduction from £420 last year – the first time in history such a cut happened. 

The General Medical Council (GMC) has announced it is to freeze its annual fees at £390 for licensed doctors during 2013.

The freeze in the regulator’s annual retention fee for doctors holding registration with a licence to practise follows a reduction from £420 last year – the first time in history such a cut happened. 

Under the new fee structure agreed by the GMC Council at its meeting yesterday (Wednesday 5 December 2012) newly qualified doctors and those in training will also receive a reduction in fees for the second year in a row – from £195 to £185.

The reduction comes into effect in April 2013.

It is claimed both the freezing and reduction of fees has been made possible by improving the efficiency of the GMC’s operations.



Niall Dickson, the chief executive of the GMC, said the regulator has a responsibility to provide value for money and control costs “as far as we can”.



"We recognise that these are challenging times, especially for doctors at the start of their careers,” he said.



"Last year for the first time in the history of the GMC we cut the annual fee paid by all doctors, and this year we have been able to freeze the fee at that level and target further cuts for doctors who are new to practice.

‘At the same time, we are facing significant increases in the demand for our services and we are delivering major initiatives such as revalidation and the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.”

Dickson said future pressures are “uncertain” but insisted the GMC “remains absolutely committed” to being as efficient and as effective as possible.’



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