NUS CONCERNS OVER HEALTHCARE ASSISTANT REQUIREMENT FOR NURSING STUDENTS

The National Union of Students (NUS) today expressed serious concerns regarding the support that will be given to nursing and midwifery students required to spend an extra year working as healthcare assistants under plans announced in Parliament by Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

Liam Burns, NUS President, said:

“It is unclear whether this decision will achieve the government’s goal but regardless it appears to be an announcement that has been made without considering the consequences. Whilst the circumstances that inspired this policy are tragic it shouldn’t lead to knee-jerk policy responses that could exacerbate the problems we know so many medical students have making ends meet while they study.

“NUS’ Pound in Your Pocket research showed that NHS funded students are more likely to struggle financially than other students due to the inadequacy of NHS bursary support and the cost of this extra year may be too much to bear for many.

“The government urgently needs to answer questions about how this scheme will be funded, including how they will cover additional costs such as travel and childcare. We don’t yet know how this extra year will be assessed or indeed if it will be assessed at all. There is no indication that these proposals have considered access to the professions: many nursing students are older and will already be undertaking ‘access to healthcare’ programmes at an FE level before taking up a nursing or midwifery degree and may be deterred by a longer course.”