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BMA to increase membership fees by 2%

The BMA has voted to increase the cost of membership subs by 2% next year, meaning a GP membership will increase by £9 and the organisation will bring in an more than £1 million extra a year.

During his report as BMA Treasurer at the BMA Annual Representatives Meeting in Bournemouth, GP Dr Andrew Dearden also revealed that BMA subscription income stood at £51.3m in 2016.

A 2% increase to 2016’s subscriptions would mean the BMA subscriptions are worth an extra £1,026,000 more a year.

The new fees will take effect from October this year and will see annual membership for a partner or sessional GP cost £552 a year, while GP trainees will pay £226 or £336 a year.

The BMA said this was a below inflation rise following three years of frozen fees. It was approved earlier on the day that MPs voted not to lift the 1% pay inflation cap it has imposed on  NHS staff.

In the report Dr Dearden also said there had been a spike in membership revenue as a result of the industrial action by junior doctors.

This had amounted to more than £4m in new subscriptions, though some of these subscribers had fallen away after the industrial action ended and health secretary Jeremy Hunt imposed the new contract.

A BMA spokesperson told Pulse: ‘The BMA is planning a below inflation increase to its membership fees from this October in order to invest in the ongoing improved services to members including supporting and representing members on a regional and local level.

‘The 2017-2018 increase follows three years of freezing fees.’