Nursing, physiotherapy and podiatry students to benefit from £5,000 grant

Degree-level nursing, physiotherapy and podiatry students at the University of East London will qualify for non-repayable annual grants of at least £5,000 from September 2020.

The funding will be provided in addition to existing supports, including student loans.

Jane Perry, dean of the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, welcomed the move, which will help with living costs for both new and continuing students and attract more students to these professions.

“We are delighted to hear this news and welcome this support for our nursing, podiatry and physiotherapy students. With a growing need and urgency to expand and sustain a local nursing and allied health workforce in the communities of East London and beyond, this extra support will enable a wider pool of students to apply for very worthwhile and satisfying careers.”

“We have a growing nursing programme at the University of East London, which is an exciting initiative developed in response to the need for more nurses locally. Also, we have excellent and supportive relationships with our local partner trusts.”

Part of the latest announcement confirms students studying podiatry will receive an additional £1,000 a year to prioritise shortage groups that are key to delivering the NHS Long Term Plan.

“The University has been running successful Physiotherapy and Podiatry courses for many years but has seen a decline in the number of Podiatry students since the removal of the bursary. We hope this additional funding will encourage and support students to consider applying for this essential and rewarding career.”

The Government has committed to releasing further details of eligible programmes in early 2020.

There are currently approximately 500 undergraduates on nursing, physiotherapy or podiatry courses at the University of East London.

The grant, which will not need to be repaid, comes as part of the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase nurse numbers by 50,000 by 2025. It is expected to benefit more than 35,000 students every year.

The Government has confirmed the grants will start in the next academic year ahead of the UCAS deadline for university application on 15 January 2020.

The measures will be part of the upcoming NHS People Plan which will set out work to reduce vacancies across the NHS and secure the staff needed for the future.

Dr Beverly Joshua, Head of the Department of Adult Nursing at the University of East London, also welcomed the move.

The Adult Nursing programme at the University offers students numerous opportunities to develop knowledge, skills and behaviours to provide high-quality, patient-centred care. Providing our students with these opportunities is crucial in a rapidly developing environment with evolving new technologies and new ways of delivering healthcare.

The University has excellent new state-of-the-art facilities for simulated learning, which allow students to practise real-life scenarios in a safe environment. These excellent facilities are shared across the professions of both nursing and allied health.

The University also works with pioneering trusts that support the student journey through a range of clinical placements that offer a breadth of experience.