Retired nurses wishing to assist Covid vaccination programme will not have to pay €350 registration fee

Retired nurses and midwives who wish to return to work for the Covid vaccination programme will not have to pay a €350 a registration fee to their regulatory board, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Colm Burke, Fine Gael’s Health Spokesman, said: “Healthcare workers have been at the forefront in our response to the pandemic and this is continuing as community vaccination begins and supply ramps up in the coming weeks and months.

“I was therefore pleased to receive confirmation from the Minister of Health yesterday that retired nurses who wish to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic response , including the vaccination programme, can avail of temporary restoration to the Irish Nursing and Midwifery Board (NMBI) and register free of charge.

“This waiver applies to nurses who wish to temporarily re-register and return to healthcare settings to assist with the Covid-19 pandemic response.

“The Minister also informed me that NMBI is updating the registration system MyNMBI so that, from March 1^st, fees will be waived automatically upon restoration.

“The NMBI is also now making arrangements to refund fees paid by some registrants who may not have been aware of the availability of free temporary restoration for purposes of assisting with the COVID-19 pandemic response.

“Retired nurses and midwives who are willing to assist in the vaccination programme are being asked to contact the HSE as well as NMBI to identify their availability. Those who may have been on extended leave or a career break (in order to raise a family) are also included in the waiving of this fee.

“Healthcare workers wishing to restore on MyNMBI and who need support with the process can contact the NMBI directly at IEReg@nmbi.ie.

“The rollout of vaccinations to our people is a cause for hope after what has been a difficult and challenging year and I wish to thank our healthcare workers for their continued effort in the response to this terrible disease,” Deputy Burke concluded.