Nursing shortages will get worse after student numbers plunged by 2,000 in a year, says their union.
A Royal College of Nursing report says Tory failures to tackle the workforce crisis has created the “greatest risk to publicly funded health and care services since their creation”.
Last year alone, more than 25,000 left the Nursing and Midwifery Council register, leaving 47,000 posts vacant. Now the RCN fears the shortfall in England could soar to more than 140,000 by 2030/31.
It comes as nurses prepare to strike on December 15 and 20 after Health Secretary Steve Barclay refused to discuss pay.
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The RCN wants 5% above inflation. RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen said: “Shortages and the impact on patient safety are now so serious, yet the Government has turned down our offer of formal negotiations.
“Strike action is a last resort but staff won’t stand by while patients are put in harm’s way. They are doing this for the future nursing workforce.”
Latest UCAS data shows 2,000 fewer nursing students will graduate in 2025 than in 2024. Nursing degrees are now self-funded after bursaries were axed by the Tories in 2017, with tuition fees on average £9,000 a year.
The RCN also fears the Government’s plans to change the student loan repayment policy, leading to higher repayments for nurses.
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Labour will train an extra 10,000 nurses and midwives every year, paid for by scrapping the non-dom tax status.”
The Department of Health said the UCAS data does not yet show the final number of new students for this year.
The Department of Health added that since September 2020 student nurses have been given at least £5,000 a year to help with living costs.
