Since the NHS Bursary was removed in 2016, nursing students have taken on significant student debt. We believe this creates inequality & may discourage people entering or staying in the profession – writing off this debt would support recruitment, improve retention & recognise nurses’ contribution.

In 2016, the NHS Bursary Scheme was removed, leaving nursing students to fund their education through loans. We feel this has created inequality between nurses trained before and after 2016, and, with ongoing NHS staffing shortages, may discourage people from entering or staying in the profession. We believe writing off this debt would support recruitment, improve retention, and recognise the vital role nurses play.