Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to official UCAS figures
published today which show that applications for undergraduate nursing degrees
starting in September 2017 are down 23 percent compared with the previous year, said:
“The
Government have been warned repeatedly that cutting bursaries and funding for
student nurses would cut off the future supply of NHS staff. Now we have the
proof that those warnings were right – 23 percent fewer people have applied to study
nursing this year.
“Misguided
reductions in training places under the Tory Government, combined with a never-ending pay squeeze, have left the NHS dangerously short of staff. Patients are
seeing wards closed, operations cancelled and treatments delayed. Now the new
recruits which the health service so desperately needs are being driven away
before they’ve even started.
“The staff
are the lifeblood of our NHS. They give their all to keep the system going in
the face of underfunding and mismanagement by the Tories. The Government ought
to get a grip, show our nursing students that their time and commitment is
really valued, and give them the support they need when they’re setting out on
their careers.”
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