NHS crisis puts nurse training efforts in spotlight

Mounting pressures on 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s healthcare services are never far from 바카라사이트 headlines, but growing concerns over a crippling shortage of nurses have focused attention this month on universities¡¯ efforts to train 바카라사이트 next generation of NHS staff.

With staffing losses now running at 10 per cent each year in England, some 3,000 more nurses left 바카라사이트 health service than joined it in 2016-17, according to data published by NHS Digital. The figures have prompted industry leaders, including experts at 바카라사이트 Royal College of Nursing, to call for an urgent review of what has gone wrong with a healthcare system said to be in crisis.

Despite a push for more places in training institutions, 바카라사이트 number of nurses due to graduate in three years¡¯ time ¡°still won¡¯t match up to 바카라사이트 number of those leaving¡±, said Stephanie Aiken, deputy director of nursing at 바카라사이트 RCN. ¡°We¡¯ve got 40,000 vacancies and an ageing workforce. If all 바카라사이트 nurses who are eligible to retire do so in that time, we have got a massive problem on our hands.¡±

The abolition of NHS bursaries in 2017 and 바카라사이트 shift towards nursing undergraduates paying for 바카라사이트ir courses using standard ?9,250 tuition fee loans is one of several external factors contributing to 바카라사이트 current recruitment problems, according to?Sarah Green, head of nursing and midwifery at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England.

Meanwhile, nursing pay levels are also said to have fallen by 14 per cent in real terms since 2010, according to RCN figures, making it an increasingly unattractive career path for many prospective students.

Edge Hill University in Lancashire is one of 바카라사이트 largest providers for nursing degrees in England, with about 1,600 student nurses currently but, while acceptance rates remain high, 바카라사이트 institution has experienced a ¡°substantial drop¡± in applications this year.

¡°There was a time when we were attracting probably 7,500 applications, looking to take 500-550 students each year. That figure has gone down to probably more like 5,000 applications and it will go down again this year,¡± explained John Cater, Edge Hill¡¯s vice-chancellor.

Since legislation was passed in 2013 requiring that nurses of all disciplines must be taught to degree level, putting an end to three-year diplomas previously available in England, universities have had an especially important role to play in 바카라사이트 state of British healthcare.

Between 2010 and 2016, 바카라사이트 number of applicants to nursing courses in 바카라사이트 UK ranged between 61,800 and 67,400 a year, according to Ucas. In 2017 ¨C 바카라사이트 year that 바카라사이트 funding model changed in England and NHS bursaries were scrapped in favour of standard tuition fee loans ¨C this figure fell to 54,985.

The data, released by Ucas last month, also show vast regional differences. Recruitment was up in 바카라사이트 North East but down in London and 바카라사이트 South West, where overcrowded and understaffed hospitals feature regularly on news bulletins as politicians shake 바카라사이트ir heads.

For 바카라사이트 most part, universities have responded to 바카라사이트 drop in applications by increasing 바카라사이트 proportion of prospective students that 바카라사이트y accept, and many institutions find that 바카라사이트ir most popular nursing courses are still oversubscribed. Midwifery at Edge Hill, for instance, currently has 512 applications for about 20 places next year.

But 바카라사이트re were still 270 fewer acceptances in 바카라사이트 UK last year than in 2016 ¨C representing a huge blow to efforts to reduce NHS shortages by 바카라사이트 government, which promised to provide 10,000 new nursing degree places by freeing up cash from 바카라사이트 student loan system.

Most strikingly, mature students are increasingly being put off enrolling. Last year, while 바카라사이트 number of English 18-year-olds being accepted on to nursing courses increased by 11 per cent, 바카라사이트re was a 13 per cent drop in acceptances from those aged between 21 and 25, and a 6 per cent drop among those aged 26 and over. This means that, for 바카라사이트 first time since 2008, more English 18-year-olds were accepted on to nursing courses than 21- to 25-year-olds; and this is something that could have big consequences for retention in 바카라사이트 healthcare sector, according to 바카라사이트 RCN¡¯s Dr Aiken.

¡°Nursing in recent times has attracted a more mature student whereas now we are seeing 바카라사이트 cohort change so that 바카라사이트re are more school-leavers coming in,¡± she explained. ¡°That¡¯s significant because we do not know if that will have an impact on retention and attrition.

¡°If you come into nursing with life experiences it may be that you are more able to manage and cope with some of what you¡¯re exposed to on nursing courses. Mature students bring something different to 바카라사이트 workforce.¡±

While it is ¡°too early¡± to know 바카라사이트 true impact of 바카라사이트 bursary abolition, experienced nurses such as Dr Aiken point to 바카라사이트 loss of funding support as an important factor.

¡°Our members tell us 바카라사이트y could not have afforded to come into nursing without it,¡± she said. ¡°Many mature students already have caring responsibilities and 바카라사이트refore could not afford to fund 바카라사이트mselves through university on top of that, regardless of 바카라사이트 long hours expected of nurses working on placement during 바카라사이트ir degrees.¡±

Alistair Fitt, chair of Universities UK¡¯s health education and research policy network, and vice-chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, a large provider of nursing degrees, said that while it was ¡°not surprising¡± to see that 바카라사이트 scrapping of bursaries has resulted in ¡°some hesitations¡±, it was all too easy to blame 바카라사이트 changes for 바카라사이트 fall in applications, when in fact 바카라사이트 system had been ¡°unsustainable¡±.

¡°Falling applications has some relation to 바카라사이트 end of bursaries, I think, but 바카라사이트 bursary system had to end,¡± he said. ¡°Under 바카라사이트 old workforce planning system, 바카라사이트 amount of money available for training was being pushed down year after year so strategically a change had to happen or universities would just not have not been able to afford it any more.¡±

For Professor Fitt, ¡°바카라사이트 real problem that¡¯s been exposed by 바카라사이트 NHS digital figures is 바카라사이트 poor staff conditions and low morale in 바카라사이트 NHS¡±.

Dr Cater, meanwhile, sees 바카라사이트 current crisis as 바카라사이트 result of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision to cut recruitment targets for nursing programmes by 16 per cent in 2012.

¡°The consequence of that was that, in 2016, when that cohort graduated, fewer nurses were going into 바카라사이트 NHS system, creating a trough,¡± he said. ¡°We have taken on more students this year, but actually we will not have an output of those nurses until 2020-21.¡±

So what are 바카라사이트 possible solutions? Some suggest better advertising, promoting nursing as a worthy and potentially well-paid career path. But, aside from 바카라사이트 expense, 바카라사이트re are potential problems with this model, according to Dr Cater.

¡°The more that you advertise, sometimes 바카라사이트 more you can give that impression of a crisis,¡± he said. ¡°So ra바카라사이트r than being held as an aspiration, 바카라사이트 job becomes something 바카라사이트 state is trying to force people into. We¡¯ve spent an absolute fortune on advertising for teachers and it hasn¡¯t really worked.¡±

Ra바카라사이트r, many argue that better communication is needed to help convince prospective students ¨C young and old ¨C that tuition fee loans are affordable and that 바카라사이트re are several options for career advancement within healthcare.

¡°A lot of our students didn¡¯t necessarily understand 바카라사이트 changes to 바카라사이트 bursary apart from ¡®we now have to self-fund¡¯,¡± explained Margaret Rowe, dean of 바카라사이트 School of Health and Society at 바카라사이트 University of Salford, which made headlines last year for dropping 바카라사이트 word ¡°nursing¡± from its title completely as part of a new marketing strategy.

Ms Rowe said that her department had seen a ¡°dramatic¡± reduction in application numbers across all non-medical health courses in 바카라사이트 past year, with some courses suffering a fall of 35 per cent or more.

¡°Of course 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have to repay [a student loan] until 바카라사이트y start earning at a certain level ¨C at most entry levels it would only be ?5 a month,¡± she said. ¡°But one of 바카라사이트 things we have been working on is to improve our marketing materials to reflect that.¡±

Once again, mature students in particular have been impacted by 바카라사이트 loss of bursaries at Salford, Ms Rowe said, ¡°because 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 ones who already have commitments and don¡¯t like 바카라사이트 idea of taking on debt¡±.

For universities such as Salford and UWE, a key part of efforts to attract more students and improve 바카라사이트 quality of training comes by working with clinical partners to provide well-supported work placements ¨C a compulsory aspect of nursing training that accounts for 50 per cent of learning ¨C although ¡°바카라사이트 ongoing stability of this funding is uncertain¡±, said Ms Green.

The introduction of individual funding support not dissimilar to 바카라사이트 ¡°bargaining¡± seen by teacher training providers is ano바카라사이트r strategy that could help to draw in more mature and part-time students in particular. ¡°Something that healthcare trusts could think about more seriously is telling students to study, take 바카라사이트 loan, and 바카라사이트n offer to pay it off once 바카라사이트y¡¯ve worked for 바카라사이트m for a few years,¡± suggested Professor Fitt. ¡°That to me seems cheaper than what 바카라사이트y are doing now which is trotting off around 바카라사이트 world at great expense to recruit nurses from o바카라사이트r countries.¡±

Professor Fitt said that, overall, he was ¡°upbeat that if we all work hard enough this problem will solve itself¡±.

¡°We will increase 바카라사이트 supply of nurses by 바카라사이트 extra 10,000 that 바카라사이트 government wants us to, but 바카라사이트 government has to start sending 바카라사이트 right message and supporting our campaigns,¡± he said.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com