News > PiF membership news

As from 1st April 2010 PiF will be making changes to membership services and benefits as well as to fees.

We will be introducing new membership categories for small teams and organisations, as well as continuing with the individual membership that PiF members enjoy now. There will also be membership opportunities for larger organisations that wish to partner with PiF or more generally support the organisation and the work that we do.

There will be more services on offer to members - a greater range of events and practical guides, position papers on emerging themes and improvement to current services such as the web site. Members will also be able to take advantage of the results of two core PiF work areas - finding and exploring the evidence for consumer health information and developing standards for information resources.

Mark Duman PiF President said "We have recently restructured our membership fees following consultation
with both our Strategy and Advisory Groups. A review of membership services showed that the £50 subscription no longer covered the costs of administration and would not allow for any expansion or imporvement of member benefits or services. This is in line with moving PiF to a more professional footing so that we can support you, our membership more fully. For over a decade, PiF has functioned primarily on a voluntary basis. However, with tightening budgets people are less able to give as much of their time to voluntary activities.  And all this at a time when consumer health information, especially at local level, needs more support than ever."

"With ambitions to improve our support to you still further, both online and through events and a potential learning programme, we need income from membership fees to cover these core costs.  We can only do this with a more stable financial income. We would encourage you to lobby hard within your organisations, for them to join PiF and would be delighted to discuss ways we can support you in supporting us not just for mutual benefit, but most importantly for the patients and public we aim to serve."

The membership fee will rise from April 1st, so if your subscription is due before then, make sure you take advantage of the current £50 rates. All new members that join in 2010 will be subject to the new rates from January 1st.

Full details of membership benefits and fees are available here.