Cherilyn Mackrory, Member of Parliament for Truro and Falmouth, has welcomed the announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care today that students studying to become paramedics, radiographers and physiotherapists will be among those to receive a £5,000 support payment each year from September.
This is the first time paramedic students will benefit from additional NHS funding while at university.
The funding will be provided on top of existing support, including student loans.
Cherilyn said:
“While knocking on the doors in Truro and Falmouth during the recent General Election campaign, people were very excited about the prospect of the return of the nurses bursary.”
“Today’s news not only confirms this but also highlights a whole raft of additional NHS professions, from paramedicine to podiatry, who will also be eligible.”
“With Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske such a major part of our constituency this is great news for future NHS employees and I hope will encourage more and more people to train for towards these invaluable careers.”
“As a working mum I am also pleased to see students will be able to get up to £1,000 back to help with childcare costs, along with a number of other payments, none of which they will have to pay back.”
Extra payments worth up to £3,000 per academic year will be available for eligible students. Each year they could receive:
£1,000 towards childcare costs
£1,000 if studying in a region that is struggling to recruit
£1,000 if they’re a new student studying a shortage specialism important to delivering the NHS Long Term Plan, such as mental health nursing and radiography.
The government expects the £5,000 maintenance grants to benefit around 100,000 pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health degree students every year.
Minister for Public Health Jo Churchill said:
“As demand grows, we need more of the best and brightest to join our NHS. I want those who would relish the job of saving people’s lives as a paramedic or diagnosing cancer as a radiographer to come forward to train, taking advantage of this fantastic new £5,000 support package.”