Last autumn I was faced with having to let my registration lapse. I had just turned 68, been off nearly all year having had a knee replacement and the recession hit Industrial Occupational Health really bad. What firms hadn't gone under, had to cut back severely and OH is always the first to go. So there I was, looking at the form and knowing I'd not done the basic minimum of hours to justify re-registering.

So with a sad heart, I logged onto the NMC website to see what I needed to do to de-register. It was then I spotted "Nurse Lecturers" and "Nurse Researchers" and wondered how they managed with this minimum hours thing?

So I rang the advice line and had a chat with a nice lady. During our chat I told her about my BoneSmart forum which provides support, advice and information to hip and knee replacement patients. I do spend a great deal of time reading, researching and checking on the information I get asked to provide. To my delight, she said it was enough for me to continue with my registration and that it looked like I could continue with it was long as I wanted to!

So I may yet be back here with a thread announcing my 60th and maybe even 70th anniversary as a nurse! Wouldn't that be something!

congrats! modern technology to the rescue!

That's brilliant news.

:yeah:

I am very pleased that you have found a way to continue your registration.

I am surprised that you felt you needed to de-register.

I thought that if you did not pay your annual £75 renewal fee you would no longer be on the register.

THAT was the reason that we were first told that we had to pay the fee,(Remember when it was only £30 for 3 years?), so that the registry was up to date.

It would seem now that you actually have to go out of your way to get OFF the registry.

The MNC keep writing to my wife to tell her to pay her fee or she will not be able to work...

She has been dead for nearly two years, and was unable to work for 3 years previous to that.

I phoned them to tell them this, but no, it was not good enough that she had not paid her fee for several years.

They wanted me to send this form and that form etc etc. I refused to do it.

So she is still on the register.

That's very unthinking of them. But yes, you do have to notify them so they take your name off the list, same as any other organisation, bank, etc. Our register is a legal charter not just a membership file. That's the difference.

And I remember when it was one payment (£12) upon registering for a LIFE membership! My generation felt quite cheated when we had to pay every three years and the first payment (if memory serves correctly) was £12 for three years!