Gavin welcomes Nursing Bursary commitment from the First Minister
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, has welcomed the announcement from the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, that the SNP Scottish Government are committed to preserving free tuition and the student bursary for all eligible trainee nurses and midwives.
The First Minister told delegates at the Royal College of Nursing Congress in Glasgow that the Scottish Government will retain the bursary support package for eligible nursing and midwifery students in Scotland. This is in contrast to the UK Government who have committed to remove bursaries for nursing students studying in England.
Since the Autumn Statement last year, Mr Newlands has regularly spoken out against the decision made by the UK Government to remove all bursary support from nursing and midwifery students.
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said:
“I am delighted with the announcement from the First Minister that the Scottish Government is committed to preserving free education and the bursary support package for those training to become the next generation of nurses and midwives.
“Ever since George Osbourne casually and carelessly announced that he was scrapping all bursary support for nursing students, I have campaigned on this issue and spoken to many nurses who have all claimed that this will prevent people from wanting to pursue a career in the NHS. My own sister is a nurse at the RAH and she has also spoken to me about how vital the bursary package was to her when she was studying.”
“I a positive that nursing students from across Scotland – including the 6,000 who study at the local University of the West of Scotland – will welcome the announcement from Nicola Sturgeon that NHS bursaries will be retained in Scotland.
“I once again call on the Chancellor to follow the footsteps of the First Minister by reinstating the bursary support package for nursing and midwifery students in England.”
