Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help encourage the take-up of disability nursing courses.

We are working closely with key partners, including higher education providers and employers, to promote learning disability nursing roles and attract people into the profession through various routes including apprenticeships.

We want to remove the barriers to training in clinical roles, which is why in addition to the support available from the Student Loans Company, eligible students studying for a nursing degree receive supplementary non-repayable funding via the Learning Support Fund. This comprises a training grant of £5,000 per academic year and a £1,000 per academic year grant for priority subjects such as learning disability nursing, with further support depending on individual circumstances.

We will publish a refreshed 10-year workforce plan later this year to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need.