Scotland won’t change student midwife bursaries

The Scottish Government have announced that they will be retaining bursaries and free tuition fees for student midwives and nurses in Scotland, despite the plans to do so in England.

Jon Skewes, Director for policy, employment relations and communications at the Royal college of midwives, said: “This is indeed great news for our future midwives in Scotland.”

“I urge the Government in England to look at their Scottish colleagues and to follow their very sensible lead. This announcement demonstrates the high value that the Scottish Government places on their health professionals. It should make ministers at the department of health in England question their decision making as they prepare to consign English student midwives and other health workers to decades of debt.”

“I call on the Government again , to rethink plans to axe the NHS bursary for student midwives in England. It is a poorly thought through idea, with little concern for the potentially serious consequences of deterring many future midwives from entering the profession.”

“Opposition to this is large and growing and we along with other organisations will continue to challenge the Government to think again.”

To sign the UK Government and Parliament petition: Keep the NHS Bursary, visit the link here

For more on this story see the RCM article here