Student nursing is facing a crisis.

Applications for nursing courses have plummeted since nursing bursaries were removed by the Conservative government two years ago. Latest statistics reveal an 11% drop in people from England being accepted on a course. The number of applications from the EU has dropped by 23% in the same period.

There are currently 40,000 vacancies for nurses in NHS England according to the Royal College for Nursing; this places current staff under immense pressure. Lack of nurses can lead to ward closures, threatens patient wellbeing and could ultimately lead to some local hospitals closing.

The RCN's Dame Donna Kinnair has made clear the impact of this disastrous decision to cut the bursary:

“Ministers’ decisions on student funding have left nursing in managed decline.. (these) figures should be the wake-up call the government needs to properly address the staffing crisis that’s putting safe and effective patient care at risk.”

This petition calls on the government to reinstate those vital bursaries to help tackle the desperate nursing shortage in our NHS in England.

If the government are truly serious about providing a fit for purpose health service it is time to show that they are truly committed to the NHS and patient welfare by bringing back nursing bursaries and alleviating the huge pressures that our NHS and its staff are under.