Government Plan For Extra Apprentice Nurses 'Not Enough' To Solve Staffing Crisis, Say Campaigners
A government plan to train an extra 1,000 apprentice nurses a year does not go far enough to plug huge staffing gaps in the NHS, unions have warned.
On Monday, ministers unveiled a £172m package to fund training for 2,000 nursing degree apprentices each year for the next four years.
With around 1,000 nursing apprentices already trained annually, the government said it would allow employers to double the number of trainees they take on, with bosses given £8,300-a-year per apprentice.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the UK must ensure that nursing “is truly diverse and open to all”.
Hancock said: “Nursing apprenticeships allow students to earn as they learn and this new funding will enable healthcare employers to hire thousands more, helping us to deliver 50,000 more nurses by the end of this parliament.”
The government’s pledge for 50,000 more nurses by 2024 has proved controversial, with the promise relying on the NHS retaining staff.
The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) welcomed the new funding – but said the new apprentices would not be enough to plug the NHS staffing gap.
Mike Adams, RCN’s director for England, said: “This increase in places is a welcome step and we hope it will make a career in nursing more accessible for those fortunate enough to secure a place.
“It does, however, fall short of the wider investment needed to educate enough registered nurses for the future, ensuring health and care services have the staff needed.”
It’s a warning that has been echoed by the King’s Fund think-tank.
Policy director Sally Warren said the funding for apprenticeships would not “solve chronic shortages in health and care services”.
“Even before the pandemic, the health and care workforce was in a state of crisis, with high levels of work-related stress, reports of overworked staff looking to leave their jobs, and a shortage of around 40,000 nurses,” she said.
During the 18 months since the NHS workforce strategy was promised,...
