Student nurses to be given £8,000 bursary

Around 35,000 nursing and midwifery students to receive £5,000 or more as funding is restored

Every student nurse will receive a bursary of up to £8,000 a year as part of efforts to expand the NHS workforce by 50,000. The Prime Minister will today promise to fund the biggest nursing recruitment drive for decades, singling out his manifesto pledges on the NHS for his first policy announcement since taking power. Around 35,000 students a year are expected to benefit from the new deal, which will be offered next year to all new nursing and midwifery students.

EVERY student nurse will receive a free bursary of up to £8,000 a year as part of efforts to expand the NHS workforce by 50,000.

The Prime Minister will today promise to fund the biggest nursing recruitment drive for decades, singling out his manifesto pledges on the NHS for his first policy announcement since taking power.

Ahead of a Downing Street reception to thank NHS staff for their work, Boris Johnson said he had heard “loud and clear” that the treasured institution of the NHS was the public’s priority.

He said the new plan – reversing the axeing of bursaries, brought in under David Cameron – showed there could be “no doubting” the Government’s commitment to the NHS.

Today, the Prime Minister will set out plans to give every student nurse an annual bursary of £5,000 to help living costs, with up to £3,000 more for those in particular areas of need.

Around 35,000 students a year are expected to benefit from the new deal, which will be offered next year to all new students doing nursing and midwifery courses.

It comes as official figures show the number of nurses and midwives has increased by more than 8,000 in six months, reaching an all-time high of 706,252.

Mr Johnson will say today: “I have heard loud and clear that the priority of the British people is to focus on the NHS – and to make sure this treasured institution has everything it needs to deliver world-class care.

“The dedicated doctors and nurses epitomise everything that makes the NHS so revered across the world – skill, compassion, energy and dedication.”

He said the new financial support package was a crucial part of a “guarantee” to deliver 50,000 more nurses.

Yesterday, Mr Johnson assembled his Cabinet for the first time since the election. He told ministers they must work “24 hours a day” to deliver on the promises made by Conservatives during the election campaign.

In a televised address at the start of what he described as the “people’s Cabinet”, Mr Johnson welcomed two new ministers and set out his plans for the first 100 days of the new Government.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet, folks,” he said, adding: “We must recognise that people lent us their votes at this election. It was a seismic election, but we need to repay their trust and work 24 hours a day, work flat out to deliver on it.”

Ministers then discussed leaving the EU by the end of January, tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech and the latest labour market statistics, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

Mr Johnson later told MPS he will bring his Brexit bill to the Commons at the end of the week. It is then expected to get to the House of Lords on Jan 13.

The NHS recruitment plans include 14,000 new nursing places, 5,000 nursing apprenticeships, an attempt to recruit 12,500 nursing professionals from abroad, while encouraging the retention – or return – of 18,500 nurses who would otherwise leave.

Despite increasing numbers of new recruits, the NHS is currently struggling to cope with a 44,000 shortfall of trained nurses because of the high numbers approaching retirement.

Mr Johnson will also review pensions policies which are fuelling a workforce crisis among doctors. The current rules mean doctors can be hit with tax rates of more than 90 per cent on their earnings – including their pension contributions – if they earn more than £110,000 a year.