Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with (a) trade unions (b) royal colleges that represent nursing, midwifery and allied healthcare students on changes to the current system of tuition fees and maintenance grants.

Ministers regularly meet with key stakeholders including trade union and royal college representatives, to discuss the Government’s approach to National Health Service workforce supply and the financial support available to nursing, midwifery and allied healthcare students.

In 2017 pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health profession students became eligible for tuition fee and maintenance loans instead of receiving an NHS Bursary. We also introduced the Learning Support Fund which provides a child dependents allowance, reimbursement of all additional travel costs to attend clinical placements and an exceptional hardship fund.

In December 2019, the Government announced that from September 2020, all eligible new and continuing pre-registration nursing, midwifery and most allied health profession students studying at English universities would benefit from a new, non-repayable, training grant of at least £5,000 per academic year in addition to the funding available already through the Learning Support Fund.

Students on the loans system receive at least 25% more funding for living costs support than under the previous system.