Mixed picture in UCAS nursing admissions and applications
By Gemma Raw
The final confirmed number of admissions for nursing courses in 2022 shows a decline from the previous two years, but an increase on 2019, while the number of applications for 2023 is down by over 18% year-on-year.
In 2020, Health Education England (HEE) committed to working with universities to support an increase in undergraduate training places in nursing, midwifery and the allied health professions. In 2021 there was a surge in the number of applications to study nursing, with the COVID-19 pandemic perhaps playing a significant role in convincing young people to train for nursing jobs.
Late last year, HEE welcomed the news that, although admissions for nursing courses had failed to reach the heights of the post-pandemic period, the total number still showed an increase on 2019. This followed on from news in November 2022 that over 4,000 trainee GPs had been accepted onto placements to join the profession, enabling HEE to hit the government’s target for GP specialty trainee recruitment for the fifth year running.
“I’m delighted that nursing continues to be a popular choice for university applicants, with over 55,000 applying to study nursing and over 29,000 places being offered,” said HEE Chief Nurse Professor Mark Radford. “Nursing is a valuable and rewarding career choice and the number of prospective students showing an interest in nursing is encouraging to the profession.”
Applications down for 2023
Nursing Times recently reported that the latest UCAS statistics showed the number of applications to study nursing across the UK had fallen by 18.5% year-on-year, as of the January deadline, although the figure is still 3% higher than in 2019. The decline is apparently across all age groups and within each UK nation.
This comes against a backdrop of significant pressures on the nursing workforce. In December 2022, data from NHS England showed a vacancy rate of 11.9% as at 30 September 2022 within the Registered Nursing staff group, equating to 47,496 nursing vacancies. This was an increase from the same period the previous year when the vacancy rate was 10.5%.
“These figures are damning for the government,” responded Pat Cullen, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) General Secretary and Chief Executive. “During the pandemic, people were drawn to apply to study nursing by the professionalism that was showcased. These figures show that has been reversed entirely.”
For the government, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson commented, “We know the number of applicants was exceptionally high during the pandemic but there continues to be strong interest in nursing and midwifery careers, with applications above 2019 levels. We’ve made significant progress in growing the workforce with record numbers of nurses and doctors working in the NHS in England and will publish a long-term workforce plan this year focused on recruiting and retaining more staff.”
For more information on training for nursing jobs, visit the NHS Careers website.
