Nursing and radiography degree courses may be at risk of closure

At a time when the NHS is struggling with a recruitment crisis, academics are warning that nursing and radiography degree courses may be at risk of closure.

The Council of Deans of Health has drawn up a list of “at risk” university courses having difficulty attracting and retaining enough students following the removal of the student bursary in 2017, including radiography, podiatry, prosthetics and orthotics.

Universities say there are already NHS staff shortages in these specialisms and the situation will get worse without a reliable training pipeline. Last month, nine out of ten hospital bosses in England said the shortage of NHS doctors and nurses is so severe that patients’ health could be damaged.

Professor Brian Webster-Henderson, chair of the Council of Deans, said “There is a real risk that there will be closures to courses and this means a risk to the public. For instance, radiography is a key part of providing treatment for the NHS national cancer plan.”

The nursing stakes are even higher, with 44,000 current vacancies across the NHS and leaked government documents suggesting this figure could increase to 70,000 in the next five years.

Nursing degree applications increased by 4% this year after dropping by 31% in the two years since the removal of the bursary. However, universities say this increase in applications masks critical recruitment problems in mental health and learning disability nursing, both of which rely on older students.

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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