Recommendation 27

NHSE&I noted that over 32,000 nurses stepped up to support the NHS during the COVID-19 outbreak, including former nurses and over 20,000 students. However, it acknowledged that there needs to be better local systems for retaining these returners, such as to establish how many wish to return to the NHS and in what capacity.70 We were also told by a number of stakeholders that some students have lost clinical placement hours due to the pandemic, and some of those who stepped up to work for the NHS had placements curtailed or cancelled.71 HEE said that it was seeking to ensure that students could still gain experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is prioritising those due to graduate this year and has estimated that 20% of these students may have difficulty completing the clinical practice hours they need to finish their nursing degree on time.72 The Council of Deans of Health and NHS Employers highlighted that this additional pressure on placement capacity will be compounded by extra pressures resulting from a backlog of routine work caused by COVID-19, as well as the risk of another peak in COVID-19 cases.73