The annual registration fee paid to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) by all qualified nurses in Britain increased to £100 from February 1.

This increase will enable the NMC to pay the £150,000 fine imposed by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for a data breach on February 15 ("Nursing regulator fined for data loss", The Herald, February 16).

While imposing the fine the "ICO urged more care with personal data".

Patients deserve better nursing care, nurses deserve better regulation.

Neil Sinclair,

Flat 2f2,

30 Clarence Street,

Edinburgh.