Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the intake of students on university nursing courses.

The Government has reformed the way students studying nursing, midwifery or one of the allied health professions are funded by moving them onto the standard student support system. Training costs have, until now, largely been borne by the NHS. This has resulted in an artificial capping of trainees in these professions. By placing healthcare students on the same support system as other students, Government has removed this cap. On 1 August 2017, the Department for Health announced funding for an extra 10,000 places for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals by 2020, meaning universities can recruit more home-grown talent from the thousands of applications that have needed to be rejected each year. The changes to funding also mean students will have around 25% more financial support than before.

The Government continues to work with the university sector, clinical providers and other partners to support student recruitment.