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.’
