Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase the number of people studying nursing in higher education.

The National Health Service has launched its fifth consecutive national recruitment campaign ‘We are the NHS’ to inspire people to consider a career in healthcare and increase applications for healthcare courses, including nursing.

The Student Loans Company provides the primary funding support package for students in further education. Student loans are subsidised by the taxpayer, this is a conscious investment in the skills and people of this country. Eligible nursing students also have access to a non-repayable grant of £5,000 per academic year plus additional grants and supports depending on their circumstances.

The Government continues to widen access to nursing careers through blended learning and apprenticeship routes. We now have a complete apprentice pathway for nursing, from entry level to postgraduate advanced clinical practice.