Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to reports in Nursing Times that universities are reducing the size of their nursing courses in the wake of the removal of bursaries in England, said:

“The Government’s decision to remove the bursaries for health degrees is a terrible misjudgment. They have failed to deliver the extra 10,000 nursing places they promised and in fact some universities are now planning to offer fewer places.

"Applications for nursing degrees have fallen by 23% this year and now universities say they have not yet received enough responses from prospective students to fill the number of training places they are offering. 

"The Government has created a crisis in the nursing workforce which is causing chaos for patients. They should urgently revisit their decision to charge fees for health degrees before it is too late.”