The nursing regulator will keep the fee at £120 for this year but says it will need to review the fee ahead of next year.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council has confirmed it will not raise the annual registration fee this year but says it will need to review the payment in more detail ahead of next year.
Falling numbers of nurses are the “greatest risk”, admits the NMC, and goes on to explain that it predicts a £1.4m loss between the current financial year and 2018-19 because of nurses leaving the register.
Offical figures show that more nurses are now leaving the NMC register than joining.
The yearly retention fee payment has seen a rise of 64% since 2013 despite NHS pay being increased by only 4%.
Although nursing associates are set to join the NMC it is thought the two budgets would be ring-fenced.
It states; “Our budget for 2018-19 assumes a continuation of the fee at £120 with a further potential decline in income as described previously.
“Given we are in a relatively healthy financial position, we are not proposing an increase in the fee this year.
“During 2018-19, we will be reviewing the fee level in more detail, as well as improving the modelling of income for future years. This reflects growing concern about the long-term trend of the size of the register”.
NMC fee increases are approved by the Privy Council and are subjected to external consultation.