Health Secretary Wes Streeting must stage an urgent intervention to rescue the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, as new figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) today (Thursday 18 July) reveal a further collapse in the number of students applying to study nursing in England.
Figures released by UCAS show the numbers applying to study nursing are down 8% on last year. Over the last three years, this means applications have collapsed by 27% [NOTE 1].
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says that without an urgent and significant intervention from the new government, including the introduction of financial incentives for students, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which is only one year old, will fall further and irredeemably off target.
At the January application deadline, the Plan was more than 10k behind the 40,586 applicants target according to RCN analysis. Since, and with seven months of additional time to make up the shortfall, the Plan is still way off target, now 7,000 nursing students short for the upcoming academic year, currently standing at 33,560 applicants. While there is still a further window in which applications can be made post-exam results, it looks almost impossible that the target will be reached [NOTE 2].
The RCN is reiterating its calls for the return of government-funded nursing degrees and the introduction of maintenance grants. For those already working in publicly funded services, a loan forgiveness system should be put in place.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said:
“Nursing is a wonderful and rewarding profession, but huge debt and financial insecurity are putting off the next generation. Patients and nursing staff alike need the new government to come good on their promises to deliver the workforce plan – after its first full year things have headed in the wrong direction at the very time we know the NHS is struggling to retain current staff.
“Investment in nursing education means more nurses in our health and care settings. This is key to making the nation healthier and getting people back into the economy. Government-funded degrees and financial support for students will more than pay for themselves.
“Nursing stands ready to be part of the solution and work in partnership with government. Ministers must show political leadership to rescue failing nurse recruitment. It should be our collective mission to grow the workforce in the interests of patient safety.”
Ends
Notes to editors
NOTE 1 - According to the latest figures from UCAS released today (Thursday 18 July), the number of applicants to study nursing in England by the 30 June deadline were 33,560. This is a decrease from the previous year of 36,400 (8%), and down from 45,740 in 2021, by 27% in three years.
NOTE 2 – The RCN has modelled the number of applications and acceptances needed for nursing courses in England needed to meet the ambitions of the NHS long term workforce plan between 2024 and 2031. To stay on track, we have identified that in England in 2024, the system needs to secure 40,586 applications, of which 22,490 need to be accepted. This is based on an 11% annual increase in applications.
