A deluge of reports coming into the SRA alleging misconduct are dragging down performance figures – and could result in a hike in the practising certificate fee next year. Board papers published today reveal that that from November 2024 to July, the SRA received an average of 1,303 reports per month – an increase of 27% on the same period in the previous year. Work is ongoing to explain the increase, with one potential reason being an increase in clicks through Google and its generative AI search function. The regulator had already been dealing with a rise in misconduct reports, with the 2024 total up 8% to 12,046. The SRA suffered a forecast deficit of £6.9m for 2024/25 and reserves are down to £15.7m – below the bottom of the reserves target of £17.7m.