The number of people studying to become nurses has collapsed in every region in England, putting the government’s plan to rescue the NHS at risk, new analysis by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has revealed today [Monday 28 October].
Latest regional data from the university admissions service UCAS shows the number of people accepted onto nursing courses fell by up to 40% in parts of England between 2020 and 2023, as the College renews its call for a new plan and better financial incentives.
The nursing union is warning that entire regions are being left behind by a failing nurse education system. It comes just one week after the government launched its 10-Year Plan consultation to fix a “broken NHS”.
The RCN is urging the government to introduce a loan forgiveness model for students who commit to working in the NHS following graduation and funding for living costs. The College says this is vital to improve recruitment into the profession.
In the North East, the hardest-hit region, acceptances onto pre-registration nursing courses have plummeted by 40%. With registered nurses typically going on to work in the region where they study, the College is concerned this could mean fewer nurses in the same local areas.
Yorkshire and Humberside and the South West of England saw drops of 25% each. In the other regions, the fall in acceptances was 22% in the East of England, 19% in the South East, 18% in the North West, 15% in the East Midlands, 14% in the West Midlands, and 12% in London.
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan aims to grow the nursing workforce from around 350,000 nurses to around 550,000 in 2036/37. However, the RCN’s analysis shows the plan is not yet affecting numbers, with just 1,000 extra people a year currently forecast to start nursing courses in 2029 compared with a decade earlier. There are currently over 31,000 unfilled nursing posts in England’s NHS.
Changes made in 2016 saw bursaries for nurse education scrapped, meaning students now pay over £9,000 each year to join the profession. Nursing students complete thousands of placement hours as part of their training, working full days in services on top of assignments, supporting other staff and patients.
The RCN says nursing students need specific funding commitments to reflect their unique circumstances and to encourage more domestic recruitment.
A properly staffed NHS is crucial to delivering the government’s own ambitions to get NHS services back on track, shifting care from hospital to community.
It comes as the RCN joins other royal colleges in calling for a Commons inquiry into unrealistic workforce plans.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said:
“The prospect of huge debt and lack of financial support is putting off the nurses of the future, threatening to leave patients without the highly trained nursing professionals they desperately need. Nursing is an incredible career, but to fix a broken NHS, the government must fix a broken nurse education model.
“Across the NHS alone there are tens of thousands of vacancies and demand for services continues to rise. We desperately need more people to join the profession, but the reality is nursing numbers are going in the wrong direction.
“Ministers are right to want to modernise the NHS and shift care into the community, but to do that you must make nursing an attractive career once again. That means forgiving the tuition fee loans of those who commit to working in the health service and funding their living costs. Investment in nursing is always money well spent.”
EndsNotes to editors
According to RCN analysis of regional UCAS data, acceptances on pre-registration nursing courses fell by the following between 2020-2023:
- East Midlands: fell from 1,910 to 1,625
- East of England: fell from 2,065 to 1,610
- London: fell from 4,110 to 3,630
- North East: fell from 1,580 to 945
- North West: fell from 4,910 to 4,040
- South East: fell from 2,425 to 1,975
- South West: fell from 1,650 to 1,235
- West Midlands fell from 3,505 to 3,000
- Yorks/Humber: fell from 2,795 to 2,100
In 2019, the total number of students accepted onto nursing courses in England was 19,630. The RCN projects that this figure will be 20,567 in 2029, fewer than 1,000 more.
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan aims to grow the nursing workforce from around 350,000 nurses to around 550,000 in 2036/37.
There are 31,293 registered nurse vacancies in the NHS in England (FTE) as of 29 August 2024.
In the North East and Yorkshire, there were 3,269 total registered nurse vacancies (FTE) in Q1 of financial year 2024/25.
