Plans to scrap student bursaries may cost the NHS more not less, says new report

Government plans to scrap the bursary funding for students on nursing, midwifery and other health degrees will mean around 2,000 fewer people a year will study for a career in the NHS, according to a new independent economic analysis released today (Wednesday) by UNISON and NUS. This plummet in the number of NHS students will mean even fewer qualified new recruits for the NHS from 2020, causing trusts to spend more on agency staff or overseas recruitment to make up the inevitable shortfall in numbers, says the report. The publication of the study – commissioned by UNISON and NUS from London Economics – coincides with a Save NHS Nursing Bursary lobby in Westminster later today. The report says the changes – due to be introduced in September 2017 – will mean huge debts for students who do graduate, and a potential decrease in the number of health courses offered by universities. When the government announced in November that the bursary was to be replaced with a system of student loans, ministers claimed the changes would mean huge savings for the Exchequer, extra training places and an increase in funding for universities. London Economics’ analysis has looked in detail at the changes being proposed to the funding of health degrees and found that: After 2017 students on nursing or other health degrees will graduate with debts of just under £49,000. Students currently end their three-year courses owing just under £7,000. Rather than creating 10,000 new places as min...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release bu NHS NHS bursary nursing Source Type: news