Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of financial support available to Registered Nursing Associates in England, employed by NHS Trusts, to become Registered Nurses.

Registered nursing associates (NAs) can become registered nurses through a two-year nursing associate apprenticeship degree, allowing people to earn a salary while gaining a nursing qualification.

NAs can also complete a shortened pre-registration nursing degree. For those taking this route, the NHS Learning Support Fund provides non-repayable support in the form of a training grant of up to £5,000 per academic year, in addition to tuition and maintenance loans. Further support is available for childcare, dual accommodation costs and travel, and students experiencing exceptional financial challenges can apply for an additional means-tested non-repayable grant.

The Government keeps the funding arrangements for healthcare courses under close review, balancing the support available to learners with the need to make best use of public funds.