Nursing student numbers in England still ‘nowhere near’ level required – RCN
Posted 28 November 2019 - 12:00
UCAS figures show rise since last year, but college calls for more investment
The number of students accepted for nursing degree programmes in England has risen but is still ‘nowhere near’ enough to end the staffing crisis in the profession, nursing leaders have said.
New figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show that 22,775 students were accepted for pre-registration nursing degree programmes in England in 2019.
Statistics show halt in downward trend
This represents a 6.4% increase on the 2018 intake (21,390), ending two years of declining numbers after the bursary was scrapped in England in August 2017.
Number of students accepted for nursing courses in England by year
2019: 22,775
2018: 21,390
2017: 21,735
2016: 22,255
NHS Digital figures show that the nursing vacancy rate in England stands at 43,000.
Call for urgent injection of funds
Commenting on the UCAS statistics, RCN director for England Patricia Marquis: ‘This modest good news still shows England’s nurse training levels are nowhere near reaching the scale and pace required to end the nurse staffing crisis.
‘Whoever ends up in government next month needs to invest at least an extra £1 billion each year in England to cover tuition fees and living costs for nursing students.’
Across the UK as a whole, 30,390 people were accepted for nursing courses in 2019, while the number of applicants rose by 6.7% to 54,225.
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