Nursing students are set to benefit from guaranteed additional support of at least £5,000 per year to help with living costs, the Prime Minister has confirmed.
The new universal offer will be available to all new and continuing degree-level nursing, midwifery and many allied health students, starting from September 2020.
The grant, which will not need to be repaid, comes as part of the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase nurse numbers by 50,000 by 2025. It is expected to benefit more than 35,000 students every year.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I have heard loud and clear that the priority of the British people is to focus on the NHS – and to make sure this treasured institution has everything it needs to deliver world-class care.
“The dedicated doctors and nurses epitomise everything that makes the NHS so revered across the world – skill, compassion, energy and dedication.
“At the heart of our manifesto was the guarantee that we will deliver 50,000 more nurses, and this new financial support package is a crucial part of delivering this.”
Today, the Prime Minister will also host a reception for NHS staff at Downing Street to thank them for the brilliant work they do every day – and especially around the busy festive period.
There are over 17,700 more nurses on NHS wards since 2010 - but with the NHS treating more patients than ever before, the Government is acting to ensure it has the staff it needs to meet growing demand.
The Government is confirming these grants will start in the next academic year ahead of the UCAS deadline for university application on 15th January 2020.
This is contributing to the biggest nursing recruitment drive in decades, supported by the NHS’ ‘We Are the NHS, We Are Nurses' campaign. This encourages teenagers choosing their degree, as well as career switchers, to consider a career in nursing.
This comes on the same day the government delivers on its commitment for an urgent review of the pensions annual allowance taper affecting senior clinicians.
Simon Stevens, NHS Chief Executive, said: “Nurses and midwives are the heartbeat of our NHS, and having a full team of staff is now the single most important route to a better NHS. Not only is this important for patients, for taxpayers it means reduced costs on expensive temp and agency staff. As we go into 2020 and the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, there’s never been a better time for committed, skilled and caring people to choose nursing as a career."
All nursing, midwifery and many allied health professional degree students will receive at least £5,000 a year with up to £3,000 further funding available for things such as specialist disciplines that struggle to recruit and for childcare allowance.
The new package will supplement existing support available to pre-registration undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students from the Department of Health and Social Care, including travel and accommodation costs for clinical placements, funding for students facing financial hardship and childcare support.
Students will also be able to continue to access the funding for tuition and maintenance loans from the Student Loan Company.
The measures will be part of the upcoming NHS People Plan, which will set out work to reduce vacancies across the NHS and secure the staff needed for the future.
As part of a wider drive to ensure the NHS continues to have the staff it needs to meet demand and transform care, the Government has confirmed today that it is taking forward its commitment to carry out an urgent review of the pensions annual allowance taper problem that has caused some doctors to turn down extra shifts for fear of high tax bills.
Treasury and Health ministers will meet the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the British Medical Association as part of this review and the government will continue to hear evidence from other relevant professional bodies. The review will report at Budget.
The Government is also increasing day-to-day NHS funding so that, by 2023/24, it will receive an extra £33.9 billion a year to deliver the NHS Long-Term Plan, ensuring that our health service is always there for those who need it.
