From Tim, a mental health nursing student’s perspective.
From Tim, a mental health nursing student’s perspective.
My name is Tim and I am a second year mental health nursing student. You may not be aware that nursing students, along with midwives and other allied health professionals receive free education. Our fees are paid by the Welsh Government and we receive a bursary from the NHS. £1000 of this bursary is paid to everyone with further elements means tested depending on personal circumstances. Students are also able to apply for a reduced maintenance loan.
Healthcare students have very intensive degrees with up to 40 hours a week in lectures and placements where we are expected to work on wards or with community teams learning from clinical staff. This clinical learning can equate to 2,300 hours of work, providing patient care over the three years of the degree. This often means working shifts up to 13 hours, nights and weekends meaning it can be difficult to undertake regular paid employment as we also have the same academic assessments as other students.
The Government has proposed scrapping the financial support for healthcare students in England moving towards a system of loans meaning we will be paying to work! Even though this may seem reasonable, bringing us in line with all other students over 150,000 have signed a petition opposing these changes!
The Government has proposed scrapping the financial support for healthcare students in England moving towards a system of loans meaning we will be paying to work!
Despite these proposals only affecting students in England the Students’ Union has adopted a policy opposing these changes and will oppose any attempts by the Welsh Government should they choose to follow suit. As a constituent member of the National Union of Students we stand with colleagues across the country to ensure fairness for all.
I was fortunate to receive a ticket to attend a discussion in Parliament with members of the Parliamentary Petitions Committee and view the debate discussing the proposals. I was able to speak and represent the views of students in Wales. I stressed the impact that increased debt would have on future students. The impact that higher student numbers will have on the quality of education in universities and also on the education that current professionals are able to offer their students on placement. We all know that education is better in smaller groups and, for healthcare, a poorer education will inevitabely result in poorer care putting patients at risk.
The debate was well attended with MPs from many parties speaking in defence of the NHS and healthcare students. There was plenty of admiration for the work that healthcare students do on clinical placements and the efforts they put in to support the health service staff.
There was agreement, amongst MPs and students that something needs to be done to increase the numbers of healthcare staff. It cannot be the case that the prospect of debt approaching £55,000 will attract people to professions where there is limited scope to earn high wages. Something needs to be done but this is not it.
One of the most striking comments was made by Ben Gummer, the Minister representing the Government. He suggested that moving to a loan system, the same one that many of you will be utilising will be extending the BENEFITS that the changes in 2012 brought to students. I ask you, what are the benefits of a huge debt, a debt the taxpayer will probably write off?