- Travel and accommodation support for healthcare students to
be raised by 50% as part of government efforts to boost training
- Uplift will mean students are appropriately reimbursed
for cost of travelling for clinical placements
- Follows publication of NHS Long Term Workforce Plan which
committed to huge expansion of education and training places
Eligible students on nursing, midwifery, allied health
professions, medical and dental courses will be able to claim 50%
more for travel and accommodation expenses while more students
from low-income families will be given financial help, the
government has announced today (Friday 1 September).
Students will be able to claim more money for any trips taken as
part of their training, such as clinical placements in hospitals.
For example, a student who travels 1,000 miles by car or
motorcycle during their placement will now receive £420 compared
to £280 under the previous rates.
The government will also raise the means testing threshold for
the NHS Bursary Scheme raising the amount a student’s parent or
partner can earn before they are eligible for support from
£24,279 to £26,076.
Minister of State for Health said:
“Working in the NHS is incredibly rewarding and we want to
ensure a diverse range of students can pursue a career in
nursing, midwifery or medicine.
“We have therefore listened to students’ concerns and are taking
action to ensure they are appropriately reimbursed for any
additional costs of travelling for clinical placements, as well
as boosting means tested and childcare support for medical
students.
“Ahead of the biggest ever expansion of education and training
places as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, this will
help to support the next generation of NHS staff in their
training.”
Today’s increase comes on top of existing support including a
non-repayable training grant for eligible nursing, midwifery and
allied health professional students of £5,000 per academic year,
plus up to £3,000 available for childcare support or those
studying certain specialisms, such as radiography or mental
health nursing.
The changes will come into effect from today, in time for the
2023 to 2024 academic year.
The 50% increase in travel and accommodation costs will include:
· travel on the
student’s own pedal cycle: from current 20p to 30p per mile, for
general maintenance and wear and tear.
· travel in or on the
student’s own motor vehicle: from current 28p to 42p per mile
· commercial
accommodation such as a hotel or bed and breakfast: from current
£55 to up to £82.50 per night
· non-commercial
accommodation, including staying with a friend or relative, but
not parents: from current £25 to up to £37.50 per night
Changes to the NHS Bursary Scheme for medical students will:
- Uplift the means-testing threshold to £26,076 from £24,279.
This is the amount a students’ parents or partner can earn before
their income becomes deductible from the students means-tested
bursary, and will increase the amount of means-tested funding
available to support medical students.
- Uplift childcare allowance to align with the rates provided
by the Department for Education for earlier years of study,
meaning medical students will be able to claim more support for
childcare costs, where needed.
The NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) provides
non-taxable and non-repayable funding to eligible nursing,
midwifery, and allied health professional (such as
paramedics or physiotherapists) students on pre-registration
healthcare courses. The NHS Bursary provides funding support to
eligible medical and dental students.
The NHS Bursary travel and dual accommodation rates have remained
unchanged since 2015, and the LSF rates since its
inception in 2017.
The NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan, backed by over £2.4 billion of
funding for the next five years, will help to train more staff
and retain dedicated existing staff to help cut waiting lists,
one of the government’s top give priorities. It will also reform
the way we work, including by embracing the very latest
technological innovations.
By 2031, as part of the biggest ever workforce training expansion
in NHS history, undergraduate medical school training places will
double to 15,000 a year with more places targeted in areas with
the greatest shortages to level up training and tackle health
disparities. As part of this the government will be working with
the General Medical Council to create new medical schools.
Adult nursing and midwifery training places will also nearly
double, with more than 24,000 additional places a year.
The NHS will ramp up the number of apprenticeships so students
can earn while they learn - widening opportunities to start a
career in the NHS beyond traditional training routes. As a
result, nearly a fifth of all clinical staff will train through
apprenticeship routes by 2030, up from just 7% today. Up to 2,000
people a year will also achieve university medical degrees
through an apprenticeship by 2036/37.
