Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Since 2017, the number of people accepted onto nursing and midwifery degree courses has increased...
Conclusion
Since 2017, the number of people accepted onto nursing and midwifery degree courses has increased from 22,045 in 2017 to 23,060 in 2019. This still means that, in 2019, only 430 (2%) more people accepted a place on a nursing degree course compared with 2016 when the NHS bursary was still available. Between 2017 and 2019, the number of people applying for courses even dropped a little further, from 41,715 in 2017 to 39,665 in 2019.59 HEE told us that the latest UCAS data from June 2020 showed a 15% increase in domestic applicants for nursing degrees from 2019 to 2020.60 However, it is not yet certain whether this will translate into an increase in the number of people accepted onto courses: the number of applicants as at June 2020 (42,740) is still below the number as at June 2016 (51,730) and trends in applicants and acceptances have not mirrored each other since 2017.61
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
5.1 The Government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 5.2 The department, NHSE&I and HEE wrote to the Committee on 11 November 2020 outlining implementation of the Committee’s recommendation. Some of the data requested will not be available until the UCAS has published the End of Cycle acceptance data in January 2021. The department will share these data when they become available.