Anglia Ruskin student nurses met local MP Daniel Zeichner to express their anger and concern about Government plans to scrap the NHS bursary.

Student nurse Giovanna Mead explained how the plan will force nurses into debt of at least £51,600. This will happen as nurses pay the entire bill for their training, even though nurses spend 50% of their training time working for the NHS on clinical placements.

This comes at a time of nursing shortages in the NHS with more than 23,443 vacant nursing posts.

Daniel Zeichner MP said: “Axing student bursaries will make it harder to address the nursing shortage in the NHS and patient care will suffer

The government should be doing everything it can to recruit more student nurses not putting obstacles in the way and risk making nursing a profession only those who can afford to train can be part of.

Nurses and midwives are some of our nation’s most valuable assets, working in our nation’s most valued institution.

They care for us and our loved ones when they’re in greatest need. Their skills and compassion make our National Health Service what it is.

It is outrageous that this Government are hell bent on axing bursaries for student nurses.”