To: Jeremy Hunt
Save Our NHS Bursaries
Do not go ahead with the proposed plans to cut funding for nursing and other healthcare courses. This would prevent many from being able to access training, lead to extortionate debt for future students and have a detrimental effect on the future of our NHS.
Why is this important?
Currently the NHS covers tuition fees and provides means-tested bursaries. If funding is taken away, future healthcare students will be expected to take out a loan to cover the tuition fee (at least £9000 per year) as well a maintenance loan to live on. UNISON have estimated that a nursing degree under this proposed system would place students in at least £50,000 of debt (excluding debt that they may have from any previous degree). With a starting nursing salary of £22,799 (currently capped at a 1% rise and not in line with the rising costs of living in the UK) it could take around 30 years to pay it off. This prospect would most certainly deter many from taking up these careers.
Taking up part-time work is very difficult for nursing and other healthcare students due to long clinical hours. Student nurses have 37.5 hour placement weeks and often have childcare and other caring responsibilities on top of this. Any extra work would likely lead to tiredness and could potentially put patients in danger.
Furthermore, the diversity of the NHS workforce would be greatly affected if the plans go ahead. We need people from all backgrounds in the health profession and not just those that can afford it or from a privileged background. Many of us who are current students would have been unable to take up the courses if we did not receiving the funding. Going ahead with the proposed plans would take away the opportunities for many people (particularly those from low income background) currently considering training in our much-needed healthcare professions.
If the proposed plans go ahead this will be hugely detrimental to both potential healthcare students and to the NHS as a whole.
There is an adjournment debate on Monday 14th December and debate on January 11th 2016. We hope to get as much support as possible so that these plans do not go ahead.
Taking up part-time work is very difficult for nursing and other healthcare students due to long clinical hours. Student nurses have 37.5 hour placement weeks and often have childcare and other caring responsibilities on top of this. Any extra work would likely lead to tiredness and could potentially put patients in danger.
Furthermore, the diversity of the NHS workforce would be greatly affected if the plans go ahead. We need people from all backgrounds in the health profession and not just those that can afford it or from a privileged background. Many of us who are current students would have been unable to take up the courses if we did not receiving the funding. Going ahead with the proposed plans would take away the opportunities for many people (particularly those from low income background) currently considering training in our much-needed healthcare professions.
If the proposed plans go ahead this will be hugely detrimental to both potential healthcare students and to the NHS as a whole.
There is an adjournment debate on Monday 14th December and debate on January 11th 2016. We hope to get as much support as possible so that these plans do not go ahead.
