UK Education Secretary Laura Trott has revealed that recent reductions in university teaching grants and the near elimination of higher-level apprenticeships have left a gap of 11,000 workers in the NHS staffing plan, leading to greater reliance on foreign healthcare professionals.
These developments come amid the UK government’s efforts to reduce net migration, including the recent suspension of international recruitment for care workers.
However, with domestic training now underfunded, the country may still need to depend on overseas health workers to fill critical roles.
Despite Labour’s pledge to develop a comprehensive long-term NHS training strategy, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has upheld a freeze on grants supporting medical education.
This affects courses in nursing, midwifery, and allied health disciplines such as paramedicine, radiography, and occupational therapy.
Trott criticised Labour’s approach, stating, “Instead of increasing the number of trained British nurses, they’ve slashed university teaching grants and cut almost all advanced apprenticeships.
This has created a staffing shortfall of 11,000 in the NHS workforce plan—proof that Labour isn’t serious about reducing immigration.”
The government’s decision to halt planned funding increases for universities—which helped offset the cost of medical training—has resulted in what many see as a real-terms budget cut.
This move has sparked concerns about mounting financial strain on higher education institutions and the growing need for international recruitment to meet staffing needs.
Strain on Universities and Training Capacity
Universities offering nursing programs are already facing significant challenges. Reports suggest that lecturer layoffs are increasing as institutions try to balance their books.
Further spending reductions anticipated in the upcoming review by Chancellor Rachel Reeves are expected to worsen the situation.
Phillipson confirmed that per-student funding will remain the same as the previous year, which amounts to a cut when adjusted for inflation.
This decision is part of a broader £108 million reduction in the Strategic Priorities Grant.
Patricia Marquis, the Royal College of Nursing’s Executive Director for England, warned that the funding freeze could push nursing programs to the brink.
“Holding per-student funding flat—essentially a real-terms cut—risks compounding an already difficult situation. We could see more staff layoffs and the potential collapse of some nursing courses altogether,” she said.
Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern shared similar concerns, noting that combined cuts to grants and apprenticeships would undermine efforts to grow the domestic healthcare workforce.
