The UK is facing a major nursing recruitment crisis as there has been a 21% decline in the number of students opting to join nursing courses at universities in the country over the past three years. The decrease in students becoming nurses is deemed as catastrophic, according to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Figures published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service show that of the 23,800 students who have been accepted on nursing courses in the current academic year, 340 fewer were accepted than last year and 6,350 fewer than in 2021. Across all subjects, this year, there has been a rise of 0.9% in the number of students attending universities, compared to 2023, the first increase in four years.
The RCN has described the situation as “critical” and “as bad as it’s ever been.” Nursing courses have seen a decline of 1.4% over the past 12 months. Among the nations, there was a drop of 22% in Wales, 21.6% in England, 19.8% in Scotland, and 10.3% in Northern Ireland. Although there was a surge in the number of nursing students in 2020 and 2021, the figures have dropped to the pre-pandemic level.
Dame Ruth May, England’s former chief nurse, criticised the replacement of the grant or bursary paid to student midwives and nurses with loans in 2015, calling it a “catastrophic decision.” This move led to a loss of around 5,700 trainees in England by 2020, which “would have made a difference” during the pandemic, according to her. The RCN has called on the government to enhance financial support for student nurses and increase the starting salaries of newly qualified nurses from £30,000 to £35,000.
The shortfall in the number of nurses nationwide is likely to affect the country for many years to come, according to the RCN. It has been suggested that the decrease in students becoming nurses is linked to the stigma surrounding the profession and the decreased financial rewards for people entering the nursing profession. While the NHS has trained “record numbers of nurses,” according to a Department of Health and Social Care official covering England, the RCN has called on the government to tackle this crucial issue before it affects healthcare across the UK
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