Return of nursing bursary demanded as Labour Liz’s petition rapidly hits nearly 14,000

Return of nursing bursary demanded as Labour Liz’s petition rapidly hits nearly 14,000

A parliamentary petition calling for the reinstatement of nursing bursaries started by Labour’s candidate for Southport, Liz Savage, is making headway and headlines after quickly gathering thousands of signatures.

The petition demands the government brings back the bursary to encourage more students into the field to help offset the huge shortage of nurses in the NHS, with over 40,000 positions currently vacant.

Since the Conservative government’s decision to cut the funding in 2016, nursing degree applications have dropped by a third and student nursing numbers in England by 11%.

Labour’s Liz Savage says it’s been a “catastrophic mistake” and unfairly hits potential applicants from Southport and across England as those in Wales and Scotland still have access to grants due to devolved powers there:

” The NHS has been under intense pressure for some time and is desperately short of nursing staff. To cut the bursary in those circumstances was nothing short of staggeringly short-sighted. It’s led to a fall in numbers when we need a huge increase. It is astonishingly counter-productive.”

” I don’t see what justification there is for it at all, nor why a potential nursing student from Southport or Scarborough should be disadvantaged compared to those in South Wales or Strathclyde. ”

Having passed the 10,000 signature stage the petition will now receive an official response but it needs to get to 100,000 to be considered for parliamentary debate.

After an initial slow start for the first week or so, the petition has suddenly started gaining traction and attention with 13,882 signing at time of writing. The Nursing Times and national news outlet The Metro have now picked up on the story and it’s recently been retweeted by well-known figures such as ex-Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall and actor Stephen McGann.

FoLiz Savage says it’s early days but she’s very pleased with the response so far as it’s vital the bursary is returned for nursing degrees to encourage more homegrown nurses:

” The only way I was able to train as a teacher was because of the added financial support that went with it. The situation is even more pressing for nurses who are already doing a full working week on wards and have to study on top of that.

” In those circumstances, how on earth can they supplement their income with a part-time job like a lot of students do? I don’t want to see anyone from Southport or beyond discouraged because of that.”

” I think it really disadvantages people from certain backgrounds and denies them access to what could be a really rewarding career. It also denies the NHS a lifeline and a chance to ease the immense pressure it is under due to nursing shortages. We need the bursary back and I’d encourage everyone to sign and share the petition.”

You can sign the petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/227419