Nursing students to get up to £8,000 a year bursary under new Tory government
2 min read
Nursing students will get a new £5,000 a year grant from next September to help with the cost of their courses.
And the Government is also announcing additional payments of up to £3,000 will be available for those in certain regions or specialisms which are struggling to recruit extra staff.
The bursary is expected to benefit more than 35,000 students every year, and is part of the Conservatives’’ manifesto commitment to increase the number of nurses in the NHS by 50,000 by 2025.
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.
“There can be no doubting our commitment to the NHS, and over the coming months we will bring forward further proposals to transform this great country.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock added: “As we enter the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, we are embarking on the biggest nursing recruitment drive in decades, backed by a new universal support package.
“We want every person considering this incredible career to apply for their university place before the UCAS deadline of 15 January, safe in the knowledge they will benefit from this financial support from the start of the next academic year.”
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."
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