Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many nursing places have been allocated for the year 2018-19.

In order to meet the growing need for more registered nurses in the future, in England, the Government has announced a further increase in the number of available funded clinical placements for nurse degrees was announced in August and October. This will result in an increase of over 5,000 nurse training places available each year from 2018/19; an increase of 25% from 20,680 available in 2016/17 to 25,850 in 2018/19.

Broadening routes into nursing is a priority for the Department in England. That is why we have developed the new nursing associate role and the Nurse Degree Apprenticeship which will open up routes into the registered nursing profession for thousands of people from all backgrounds and allow employers to grow their own workforce.

Education and training of National Health Service staff in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for the respective Governments.