More nursing students despite fall in applicants

A Near-record number of aspiring nurses were accepted on to training courses this year, despite a fall in the number of applications, suggesting entry requirements have eased, it has emerged.

Figures from Ucas, the university admissions service, revealed that 2017 had the second-highest number of trainees accepted to date, with 28,620. However, there was an 18 per cent drop in applications from 18 and 19-year-olds in England.

The Government promised in October to create an extra 5,000 nursing places, part of a wider drive to cope with rising patient numbers.

However, an end to bursaries in favour of student loans has been blamed for deterring people from the profession.

The latest data show there was a 13 per cent decline in acceptances to nursing subjects from applicants aged 21 to 25 and a six per cent decline from those aged 26 or above, but these decreases were offset by an increase in acceptances of young applicants. This suggests that it was easier to get on to a nursing degree course this year than it had been in the past.

Lara Carmona, of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “These figures show the future supply of nurses remains in peril – we have not seen the increase we need across the UK, despite government promises.

“This will mean services already struggling to recruit staff will find it even harder.”