Cutting nursing degree length should be ‘permanently off the table’
Posted 15 November 2023 - 12:58
RCN director for England criticises a government letter, revealed during the UK Covid Inquiry, that proposed the cut as a way to boost workforce numbers
Proposals to reduce the length of nursing degrees to bolster the NHS workforce should be ‘permanently off the table’, a nursing leader has said.
A letter from Downing Street to the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) shown during the UK Covid Inquiry revealed the government was considering reducing the number of years nurses are required to train as a way to increase workforce numbers.
‘We must overhaul nurse training so it is fit for purpose’
The letter, dated February 2020, details a meeting between former prime minister Boris Johnson and former health and social care secretary Matt Hancock in which a ‘short update’ on coronavirus took place, alongside discussions to meet the government’s pledge to recruit 50,000 more nurses by autumn 2023.
It reads: ‘We must overhaul nurse training so it is fit for purpose, looking for instance at reducing the number of years in training or more “on the job training”.’
The letter was shown during former cabinet secretary Lord Mark Sedwill’s session as evidence that the cabinet was not taking the threat of COVID-19 seriously and was instead focusing on manifesto commitments.
Plan ‘demonstrates a lack of understanding for the importance of training’
RCN director for England Patricia Marquis said the letter was proof that the government’s nursing recruitment target was built on ‘shaky foundations’.
She added: ‘The plan revealed here to cut vital education time demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding and respect for the importance of the training that nursing students receive, and that is why we fight so strongly for the full university nursing degree course. The government should confirm this plan is permanently off the table.
‘In the four years since this [recruitment target] figure was revealed, demand on the NHS has soared and it is missing record numbers of nurses – and patients are paying the price.’
Workforce plan does not reference cut to degree length
Plans to reduce the length of nursing degrees as a way to plug chronic NHS workforce shortages were suggested again this year, with backlash from nursing leaders, educators and nurses.
It was suggested nursing students could qualify after two and a half years, reducing the degree time by six months.
At the time the DH said further details would be addressed in the NHS long-term workforce plan, later published in June.
While the plan does not contain details to reduce the length of degrees, it did propose measures including ‘training staff more flexibly’ and cutting the placement hours needed to qualify by 500 hours, from 2,300 to 1,800.
Government refuses to say cuts are off the table
When approached by Nursing Standard (NS) following the revelations from the COVID-19 Inquiry, the DH refused to rule out changes to nursing degree lengths and again directed NS to the workforce plan.
It said the plan looks at expanding nursing places not shortening the time of training, but declined to answer questions on whether the proposals would be looked at separately.
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