The government has been urged to step up efforts to attract more people into nursing, after new figures revealed little growth in the number of students accepted onto courses across the UK. Just 40 of these additional places went to UK students, with the remainder taken by overseas applicants. Acceptances among 18-year-olds rose by 6% to 5,620 – the highest since 2019 – but mature student numbers continued to decline. “We now need to see the government prioritise getting more students to choose nursing in the first place. “Nursing and other allied health professions are suffering falling application rates and limited placements at NHS trusts.

Source: The Times August 15, 2025 17:50 UTC