NHS bursary reforms are just one part of a larger policy challenge

NHS bursary reforms are just one part of a larger policy challenge

The health service needs to train more of its own nurses, but switching students from bursaries to loans must be part of a wider programme

The NHS needs to train more of its own nurses. This is one of those all-important issues where the need to improve efficiency and quality are completely aligned.

The National Audit Office estimated that the NHS was short of just under 28,000 nurses, midwives and health visitors in 2014. Over recent years, the number of nurses has grown more slowly than the number of doctors and the UK has fewer nurses per capita than the OECD and EU averages. 

Guardian
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