Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many final year nurses, midwives and associated health professionals who finished their courses early to take up roles in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are now working in the (1) NHS, and (2) social care sector; and what special provision is being made to support those workers.

Final year nursing, midwifery and many allied health profession students are beginning to be deployed into the National Health Service and social care sector. Information on the overall numbers deployed is being collected by Health Education England and will be made available from early May 2020.

We have guaranteed that all nursing, midwifery and allied health students who do opt in to paid clinical placements to support the COVID-19 response will be rewarded fairly for their hard work. Students who opt in will be getting a salary and automatic NHS pension entitlement at the appropriate band. They will also still receive their student maintenance loan and Learning Support Fund payments too.

Universities will also continue to provide pastoral support to students throughout this time too.