Million Plus

MillionPlus, the Association for Modern Universities, has today (30 May) commented on the 18% year-on-year decline in registrations on nursing and other healthcare related Access to Higher Education Diplomas. Registrations fell to 20,050 in 2016-17, down from 24,346.

Dr Greg Walker, Chief Executive of MillionPlus, said:

“The news that registrations to these diplomas have dropped by almost a fifth in the space of a year is deeply concerning. The withdrawal of bursaries now appears to be impacting further down the supply chain for nursing degree students. A stalling pipeline of potential nursing students will offer no assurance to NHS employers as they struggle to fill vacant nursing posts.

“With nurse training numbers continuing to fall, now is the time to review the impact of the shift away from bursaries.

“We hope that the government’s Post-18 Education and Funding Review will explore ways to make the study of this key discipline more appealing to potential students of all ages, by offering significantly more attractive repayment terms on their student loans.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. MillionPlus is the Association for Modern Universities. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk
2. Modern universities: key facts 2017
3. The Access to Higher Education Diploma: Key Statistics 2016-17 report is available here
4. For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Dan Blows on 020 7717 1658 or email press@millionplus.ac.uk