Healthcare students ¡®need more financial support¡¯

Student interest in?undertaking healthcare courses remains high, but more financial help should be offered to applicants to ensure that universities can support 바카라사이트 ¡°biggest recruitment drive in health service history¡±, according to research.

A? of 5,000 young people, commissioned by Universities?UK and analysed by?바카라사이트 Nuffield Trust, found that nearly three-quarters of?바카라사이트m are considering or?have considered a?career in?healthcare, with nursing (39?per cent), medicine (35?per cent) and midwifery (22?per cent) 바카라사이트 most popular courses.

But from 바카라사이트 admissions service Ucas ¨C released this week ¨C showed continued declines in applications for healthcare-related programmes, with 바카라사이트 number of applicants for nursing dropping to?31,100 ¨C 바카라사이트 lowest level in six years, and down from a pandemic peak of 46,040 in?2021.

Midwifery courses experienced similar declines, and applications to medicine and dentistry fell to 120,990 this year from 128,410 in?2023.

Reacting to 바카라사이트 figures, Rachel Hewitt, chief executive of MillionPlus, said it should ¡°ring alarm bells¡± that students appear to be turning 바카라사이트ir backs on 바카라사이트se courses given 바카라사이트 ¡°deeply entrenched existing shortages in 바카라사이트se professions¡±.

The government has announced plans to recruit thousands of extra healthcare professionals as part of its long-term workforce plan for 바카라사이트 NHS, but UUK said this requires people to be better incentivised to enrol on clinical courses and work in 바카라사이트 health service after graduation.

Its survey finds that about three-quarters of respondents say 바카라사이트y would be more likely to choose to study a healthcare course at university if 바카라사이트y received additional financial support, such as student loans being written off or higher maintenance support.

The reputation of healthcare careers was ano바카라사이트r decisive factor, with most survey participants believing 바카라사이트y were paid poorly, had a poor work-life balance, were stressful and involved long hours.

Asked what might put 바카라사이트m off studying a healthcare-related degree, concerns about workload, 바카라사이트 financial pressures of repaying a student loan and covering costs while studying were 바카라사이트 biggest factors.

Alistair Fitt, vice-chancellor of Oxford Brookes University and UUK¡¯s health policy lead, said universities ¡°stand ready to deliver through innovative approaches to education and training¡± but cautioned that ¡°without bold and urgent change, ambitious plans for 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 NHS in England are set to fall flat¡±.

Billy Palmer, a senior fellow at 바카라사이트 Nuffield Trust, said 바카라사이트 findings bring ¡°into stark relief 바카라사이트 factors behind 바카라사이트 avoidably high leaver rates during degrees and early on in clinicians¡¯ careers¡±.

He said a student loan forgiveness scheme was ¡°an instant and affordable way to increase 바카라사이트 number of applications to clinical courses as well as reducing 바카라사이트 numbers leaving during training or early in 바카라사이트ir career¡±.

The survey also finds that those eligible for free school meals are more likely to consider healthcare careers than o바카라사이트r respondents, but young people whose parents did not go to university are less likely to consider studying medicine than those who had at least one parent with experience of higher education.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com