HEE Chief Nurse posts statement on student midwives working for NHS
on 18 June 2020
Health Education England (HEE) Chief Nurse Mark Radford has released a statement regarding student nurses and midwives working for the NHS during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The statement provides clarification over the future of students working for the NHS during this time, stating that it is “untrue to suggest that student nurses and midwives are being made redundant, all student nurses and midwives are required to complete placements during their training.”
He says that usually placements are unpaid but due to the pandemic being considered “special circumstances” students received payment for their work and dedication.
The NHS has funded year 3 student salaries and students will be paid up until 31st July 2020.
If year 3 nurses and midwives have completed their placement hours and assessments they would then be able to register and be paid a band 5 salary.
Any year 3 students who have hours they still need to complete will have funding until September to allow them to do this.
Year 2 students on placement until July 31st will be paid and after this date normal non-paid placements will be re-introduced along with year 1 students.
In the statement Chief Nurse Mark Radford said: “We committed at the outset of the pandemic to ensure that these students complete their training and are able to qualify. It was always made clear to students who opted into paid placements the arrangements would need to come to an end at an appropriate point so that student could return to their supernumerary status to complete their registered nursing qualifications as quickly as possible to permanently enter the NHS workforce.”
The paid placement arrangement was agreed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Council of Deans (CoD) and unions.
The full statement can be found on the HEE blog here.