Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides to people studying healthcare courses; whether he plans to provide further support for those people's (a) living costs and (b) course fees; and if he will make statement.

Since August 2017, new undergraduate nursing, midwifery and some allied health profession students are able to access loans through the standard student support system.

A number of provisions are available to support these students whilst undertaking the clinical placement element of their courses. These include child dependants allowance, travel and dual accommodation support and, in eligible cases, an exceptional hardship fund. Allowing students to access the student loans system also enables them to be up to 25% better off while they study than under the previous funding system.

From August 2018 new postgraduate pre-registration students and most new undergraduate pre-registration dental hygiene and dental therapy students will also be able to access loans through the standard student support system. This change will allow eligible students to access child dependants allowance, travel and dual accommodation support and, in eligible cases, an exceptional hardship fund.

The Department will also put in place incentives for postgraduate healthcare students who go on to work in the healthcare sector - such as 'golden' hellos for postgraduates who go on to work in mental health and learning disability fields and those postgraduates who go on to work in community nursing roles. The Department will provide up to £10 million to support this.