New research has shown that financially supporting healthcare students could lead to a huge influx of NHS staff in the future.
Analysis from the Nuffield Trust of data collected from a Censuswide survey commissioned by Universities UK (UUK) indicates that around three-quarters of people would be more likely to choose a healthcare course at university if they received financial support while studying (72%), or if they were paid for their clinical placements (73%).
In light of this, UUK is calling for maintenance support that keeps up with the increased cost of living to help alleviate the burden on students.
Other reasons why people are put off a career in healthcare include perceptions of:
- Low pay (90%)
- Poor work-life balance (82%)
- Job-related stress (79%)
- Long working hours (75%)
“The health service needs a pipeline of talent to be able to provide high-quality care,” explained Professor Alistair Fitt, health policy lead at UUK, and vice-chancellor at Oxford Brookes University.
He added: “Universities have a vital role in training that talent and stand ready to deliver through innovative approaches to education and training.
“However, without bold and urgent change, ambitious plans for the future of the NHS in England are set to fall flat.”
Student loan forgiveness has a been a policy touted by the Nuffield Trust and other organisations to help turn the tide on the workforce crisis – particularly by the Royal College of Nursing earlier this year after UCAS figures revealed a steep drop in nursing applicants.
“We have previously argued that a student loans forgiveness scheme is an instant and affordable way to increase the number of applications to clinical courses as well as reducing the numbers leaving during training or early in their career,” said Nuffield Trust senior fellow, Dr Billy Palmer.
The research also demonstrates a pressing need to better advertise the diversity of careers available within the NHS, as only one in five (20%) are ‘very familiar’ with the variety of healthcare-related career options.
This will be crucial to the success of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan; as will recruiting from a diverse range of backgrounds.
The study showed, for example, that those who have been eligible for free school meals are more likely (78%) to consider a career in healthcare than those who have never been eligible (70%).
Alistair added: “The good news from this survey is the strong interest among young people for rewarding healthcare careers. With broad political support to significantly increase the number of healthcare staff, the challenge is how we make NHS careers attainable for many more potential students.”
The Censuswide survey was of 5,259 people aged between 16 and 26.
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