Top nursing school closure plan sparks fears for NHS staffing

Cardiff University consultation on nursing school closure raises fears for nurse staffing in Wales. Applications to undergraduate nursing programmes at the university have been declining

Plans to close one of the UK’s top nursing schools have shocked students and staff, who spoke of ‘devastation’ at the news.
Cardiff University nursing school, ranked fifth in the UK by the Complete University Guide 2023, could close due to budget pressures.
Nursing school begins consultation on possible course cuts
The university, which offers undergraduate programmes in adult, child and mental health nursing, has begun a three-month consultation on proposals to cut a range of courses across several departments and around 400 full-time-equivalent jobs.
There has been a marked downward trend in applications to study adult nursing at Cardiff. Applications fell from 1,138 in 2022-23 to 800 in 2023-24, and to just 648 in 2024-25.
‘There’s a risk the staffing crisis in the NHS in Wales will be exacerbated. It feels very short-sighted’
Nico Campbell, third-year adult nursing student
Potential impact on nurse staffing in Wales
There were 1,778 registered nurse, midwife and health visitor vacanciesmin Wales' NHS on 30 June 2024.
Nursing students at Cardiff told Nursing Standard their school is an essential pipeline for nursing in Wales.
Third-year adult nursing student Nico Campbell said: ‘There has been a huge amount of anxiety for students about their education and what’s happening to our lecturers and what this means for the people of Cardiff and Wales. There’s a risk the staffing crisis in the NHS in Wales will be exacerbated. It feels very short-sighted.’
Cardiff nursing school trains nurses who go on to work for Wales’ largest health board
Cardiff University emeritus professor in healthcare sciences Daniel Kelly fears the proposals could ‘set nursing back 50 years’ in Wales.
‘Cardiff University supplies new nurses to the largest university health board in Wales: Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. If they turn that tap off, in two or three years that organisation will be saying “why did we do this?”.’
‘There is a lot of real devastation and disappointment in the university about this. People know Cardiff is well-respected for nursing, so why choose to do this when Wales is so in need of nurses?’
‘There will be no immediate impact on nursing students or their ability to complete their studies. We are committed to delivering nursing degree programmes to the students starting in 2025’
Cardiff University spokesperson
University Hospital of Wales haematology trials unit manager Emma Williams said: ‘Nurses have suffered enough from feeling demoralised, overworked and undervalued. This couldn’t have come at a worse time for us when we are desperately trying to keep our nurses and emphasise their value in the healthcare system.’
Nursing students told they will feel no immediate impact of any closure decision
Cardiff University stressed more detail was need before any final decision is made. A spokesperson said: ‘In the short term there will be no immediate impact on nursing students or their ability to complete their studies. We are committed to delivering nursing degree programmes to the students starting in 2025.’
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) data show Wales was the only part of the UK to see an increase in nursing degree applications in 2024, up from 3,505 in 2023 to 4,095.
A Welsh government spokesperson said: ‘We understand the serious concern Cardiff University's announcement will cause. Universities are independent institutions, but we are very disappointed nursing courses form part of these proposals. We are working urgently with Health Education and Improvement Wales to ensure we train the same number of nurses.’
Students will be protesting against the plans at the University Hospital of Wales on 7 February.