Boris Johnson’s Conservatives have been forced to defend a decision not to reverse cuts to nurses’ bursaries – instead offering them cash worth at least £5,000 per year.
In 2016, George Osborne cut the bursaries which sent applications to join the profession plummeting – with 50,000 nursing vancaies in the UK.
Before the grants were abolished, nursing and midwifery students could apply for non-repayable bursaries of up to £4191.
They would also have their course fees paid for, worth up to £9000 a year.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that the Conservatives’ manifesto commitment would be rolled out from September, in a bid to woo those currently considering a nursing degree ahead of the application deadline.
Annual payments of £5,000 will be available to all student nurses – as well as some allied health professionals – from the start of the next academic year, with a further £3,000 for specialist disciplines, such as mental health, which are hard to recruit.
Mr Hancock, speaking at the Policy Exchange think tank in Westminster, said he hoped the £2 billion package of financial support would attract more nurses into the profession and reward those choosing nursing as a career.
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“We’re going to give student nurses a free, non-repayable training grant worth up to £8,000 a year on top of the existing funding available – almost doubling the financial support on offer,” he said.
“Every student nurse will receive at least £5,000 extra a year from next September, with more financial support for childcare costs, for instance, or in regions, or disciplines, such mental health, where the need for nurses is more acute.
“At the same time, we’re going to expand further the roots into nursing with more nursing associates and apprentices. I want to make it easy to climb the ladder to become a fully registered nurse.”
Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth welcomed the partial reversal on student nurse bursaries, but called for further funding.
(Image: Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)
“The Conservatives’ policy of forcing would-be nurses to pay tuition fees has demonstrably failed in the last two years,” he said.
“While it is good to see that they have U-turned on their terrible policy position, nurses have called for additional funding to cover tuition fees too, not just living costs as the Tories promised in their manifesto.”
RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Dame Donna Kinnair said: “With tens of thousands of vacant nurse jobs, serious measures are needed. This grant is a first victory for the campaign that our student nurses are running. The announcement will hopefully encourage more people to apply to a nursing degree by the mid-January deadline.
“In the run-up to the Budget, we continue to call for our students to not pay tuition fees up-front. Any barriers for people wanting to enter nursing must be removed.
“The nurses at work today need to feel valued but also confident that the staffing shortages are being addressed with adequate investment.
“The RCN is calling for at least £1bn extra per year to be invested in nurse higher education to ensure patients and the public can access safe and effective health and care services.”
