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Healthcare Students: Pay and Financial Support
20 November 2023
Lead MP
Marsha de Cordova
Battersea
Lab
Responding Minister
Andrew Stephenson
Tags
NHSEducationEconomyEmploymentForeign AffairsEnergyChildren & Families
Word Count: 4616
Other Contributors: 2
At a Glance
Marsha de Cordova raised concerns about healthcare students: pay and financial support in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The Government should increase financial support for healthcare students by creating a debt offset or write-off scheme for those who commit to working in the NHS, ensuring grants reflect true living costs, extending free childcare to those on placements, and addressing intersectionality issues affecting women and mature students. The Government must also focus on workforce challenges by considering all options to incentivise more people into healthcare professions.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The cost of living crisis has disproportionately affected healthcare students, with many struggling to afford energy bills, food, and childcare. Eighty per cent of student midwives reported taking on additional debt over the standard student finance package, and nearly three quarters expect to graduate with debts exceeding £40,000. Many are forced into unpaid clinical placements, while others balance parenting duties and part-time jobs, leading to considerable financial strain and increased risk of leaving their courses.
Andrew Gwynne
Ind
Gorton and Denton
Student nurses and midwives face significant financial pressures, with 89% worrying about debt levels and many struggling to afford basic necessities. The abolition of NHS bursaries has led to a decline in nursing applications by nearly 30%. Labour calls for increased placements and better support to address the NHS workforce crisis.
Paul Blomfield
Lab
Sheffield Central
Regretting his inability to stay for the whole debate, Paul Blomfield highlighted a previous debate from seven years ago where the then Minister, Ben Gummer, promised to share benefits of the undergraduate student funding system with healthcare students. He argued that changes to bursaries have led to fewer potential nurses and midwives entering the profession, especially mature applicants, citing UCAS figures showing a 16% decline in applications for healthcare courses this year. The hon. Member supports the point made by his colleague about midwives, extending it to nurses and other healthcare students facing financial difficulties due to a broken student funding model. According to Save the Student, average loans fall short of living costs by £439 per month, forcing many students into excessive part-time work—some working over 35 hours weekly at Russell Group universities. This is not an option for most healthcare students due to their course structure.
Government Response
Andrew Stephenson
Government Response
I am grateful to the British public for raising important issues covered in three petitions today. The Government recognises the unique nature of healthcare degrees, the intensity of courses, and financial pressures during clinical placements, which is why we support students with a non-repayable training grant of at least £5,000 per academic year since September 2020. We announced a 50% increase to travel and accommodation payments this year through the learning support fund. The Government are expanding alternative routes into healthcare careers to enable diverse backgrounds to bring unique skills to the NHS, including blended learning courses and clinical staff apprenticeships, with a target of 20% by 2032. There is an expected rebalancing following unprecedented demand for healthcare courses during the pandemic; current data shows increases in applications and enrolments compared to pre-pandemic levels. The Government provide financial support to students with children through various grants including the childcare grant covering up to £190 a week per child and the parents' learning allowance of up to £1,915 annually.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.