This in from Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Andrew Turner’s office. Ed
On Monday, 11 January, the Island’s MP Andrew Turner attended a debate in Westminster Hall on NHS Bursaries for nurses.
The background of the debate is the Government’s planned changes to replace the current bursary scheme with a loan-based system for nursing students.
The changes were announced during the Autumn Statement last November as a measure for more nurses to be trained.
Concerns of loan-based system
Mr Turner said:
“I appreciate that the Government is looking for ways to fund a stronger nursing workforce in the NHS; but I am concerned about the proposed removal of the bursary scheme. In moving to a loan-based system, the Government will need to find ways to attract students to a career path that does not pay as well as some other graduate jobs do. If training is to be on a loan based system in future this needs to be looked at carefully, particular for remote areas such as the Isle of Wight where travel to the mainland is so expensive.
“Nurses do an essential job. Their education is largely based on placements alongside their studies. Placements often mean they are in effect doing a full-on nurse’s job, and it could be argued that the current bursary scheme is a sort of payment. However you look at it, nurses need a sound basis during their studies and placement expenses ought to be reimbursed in some way.
“The most pressing point is that we need to see proposals from the Government on how to make NHS a more attractive workplace if qualified nurses will have student loans to pay off. I believe a loan-based system could work with higher salaries and with paid apprenticeships for student nurses.”
Image: garryknight/ under CC BY 2.0
