Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to encourage and incentivise people to take up nursing.

On 1 August 2017 the Government changed the education funding system for nursing students. The move to bring the funding of pre-registration nursing degrees into line with other undergraduate courses, through the student support system, removed the ‘cap’ which fixed an envelope of Government funding for fees and bursaries.

Nursing students now have access to the standard student support system. This change will mean that students will typically receive around 25% more up front living cost support whilst studying than on the bursary system.

In addition students will have access to non repayable grants for child dependents, reimbursment of travel and dual accommodation costs whilst attending clinical placements and an exceptional support fund.

To facilitate expansion, additional Clinical Placement funding was announced by the Department in August and October 2017. This enables around 5,000 more nursing students to enter training each year to 2020/21, representing a 25% increase over the number of nursing students in 2016/17.

Developing new routes into nursing is a priority for the Department. The Department has developed the Nursing Degree Apprenticeship and the new Nursing Associate role which will open up more opportunities to train as a nurse for those already working in the National Health Service or those for whom full-time university is not a realistic option.