GMC fees to rise with inflation from April

GMC will increase doctors’ registration fees by 0.5% from April next year.

This will see fully-qualified doctors pay a fee of £408 in 2021 – £2 more per year – and newly-qualified doctors £157 – £1 more per year, the regulator said.

The GMC is also increasing the fees for testing, including PLAB 1 costs rising from £239 to £240, and PLAB 2 from £875 to £879.

The GMC said the fees rise was in line with its ‘commitment to limit increases in line with inflation’

Its statement said: ‘We fully understand the challenging circumstances doctors are working in to care for patients and support our health services.’

With regards to how funds from collected fees will be spent, the GMC said it intends to ‘continue our important work to improve training experience and working environments, making them safe, supportive, inclusive and fair for doctors’.

The GMC is also investing in setting up a temporary test centre next spring, so it can test more doctors from overseas during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Newly qualified doctors	2020 £	2021 £
Provisional registration	52	52
Full registration (year 1)	156	157
Annual retention fee (years 2 to 5)	156	157

Other doctors	2020 £	2021 £
Full registration	406	408
Annual retention fee with a licence	406	408
Annual retention fee without a licence	145	146

Other fees	2020 £	2021 £
PLAB test – part 1	239	240
PLAB test – part 2	875	879
Certificate of completion of training	437	439
Certificate of eligibility for specialist registration	1,668	1,676
Certificate of eligibility for GP registration	1,668	1,676
Certificate of GP acquired rights	305	307