The latest policy briefing from MillionPlus, the Association for Modern Universities, calls for the UK and Scottish governments to urgently reform the clinical training placements system to ensure a healthy supply of nurses across the NHS.
The NHS faces a recruitment crisis. With around 10% of nursing vacancies currently unfilled in NHS England and Scotland and global pressures meaning international recruitment is less viable than during previous crises, there is a need to train significantly more nurses domestically.
Increased uptake of nursing courses during the pandemic has since tailed off, with applications down 18.1% in England and 24.2% in Scotland between 2022 and 2023. The situation is exacerbated by record numbers of experienced nurses leaving the sector and a stubbornly high attrition rate of student nurses.
Added to increased demand for nurses before the end of the decade, MillionPlus estimates that 160,000 student nurses will need to be recruited, trained and enter NHS England between now and 2031 and 28,000 for NHS Scotland. This represents an increase on forecast numbers of around 20%.
