To think that healthcare students should be paid whilst on placement?

[Backbee]

I find it shocking that those students on placement (nurses, midwives and other HCPs) at the moment, with the heightened risk of covid and assisting in filling in for staff numbers unofficially due to staff shortages should be paid whilst on placement, like some were back in March?

I know some are going to say well they are students, they have chosen to do it, surely they can refuse to go on placement etc. But the reality of delaying placement (if uni will allow) is getting hours for your PIN and being able to secure paid work, which results in a loss, and there's no guarantee when it will be safe to start again. These are people passionate about a career and we need them, some are on covid wards and others are putting themselves and families at risk; yes they are choosing to, but we also need graduates and new HCPs so it's in all of our interests to help support them.

Any thoughts?

Yes, something equivalent to apprenticeship pay rates with NO FEES to pay would probably be about right.

No. They are in training.

They used to get their fees paid and a better bursary.

I don’t see any incentive to train in healthcare now.

@KatieGGGG

Absolutely should be paid. Apprentices make a (low) wage while they’re learning, as do many other professions. The best people for the job shouldn’t be priced out from even starting.

I’ve also read recently student nurses aren’t considered for the covid vaccine as they aren’t employees, which I hope isn’t true or is changed.

Dd would have had vaccine if her placement hadnt finished at christmas. Also apprenticeship dont get travel , extra rent ecpenses paid and dont get maintenance loans

TLDR - Rather than being paid for placement I would like to see HCP student loans written off after working for the NHS for 5/10 years.

I don't think the general public understand the costs involved in choosing a career that will be within the NHS

Ds is at uni first year paramedic science.
You cannot now become a paramedic through working on the job - you have to do the degree

He is paying 9k tuition fees and halls are costing £156 per week (uncatered and shared bathroom so not fancy). Following government guidance he has been home from start of December until end of January- so 7 weeks of unused halls that we are paying for.

He's paying all of the above for online learning and one face to face 3 hour clinical skills session a week . Between starting uni and end of this month that will be 27 hours of face to face teaching to date

In addition he will be doing 10 weeks of placement with the ambulance service in year one. This will be the same shifts as his mentor , could be anywhere within the London ambulance service region and he can claim minimal travel expenses.

Once qualified after 3 years ( and in approx £40k student loan debt) he will work for the nhs and be paying 9% extra tax to repay the loans once earning over £26k . This extra 9% tax will be paid every year until 30 years have passed or he pays it off in full. Paying off in full is unlikely as from receiving his first loan instalment in September he's is charged 5.6% interest.

He does get a 5k bursary and £3k maintenance loan ( that rolls into his student debt) . Together this just about covers accommodation but not food / living expenses or running his car which is needed for placement

Bearing in mind the costs he is paying / debts accruing to work for the NHS I feel that something should be done for HCP.

If they wrote off the debt after 5/10 years of NHS working it would encourage people to stay with the NHS who trained them . It would remove some of the incentive to go abroad where private ambulance work or being a paramedic is much better paid

@bruffin yes, because they’re paid for work they do like every other job. No one’s labour should be free.