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Cutting more nursing bursaries risks discouraging women and mature students, the Government has been forced to admit.

It released an equality impact assessment yesterday after quietly revealing on its website on Friday that more bursaries were being axed for around 1,000 nurses who join the profession every year.

Those on the postgraduate course have had their living allowance support removed despite an NHS staffing crisis which has left 40,000 nursing vacancies in England alone.

They will now rack up thousands more in student debt and campaigners argue it will further cut off the supply of new recruits.

The assessment revealed that the latest change risks discouraging women, ethnic minority and poorer applicants.

(Image: Hero Images) (Image: REUTERS)

Angela Rayner MP, Shadow Education Secretary, said: “This analysis shows that the Tories can’t be trusted to deliver either an education system that is fair and sustainable, or the staff our NHS needs.

“The decision to scrap NHS bursaries has already proved to be regressive and short-sighted, contributing to a recruitment crisis in our NHS.

“Now we have further proof that this Government is entrenching inequality and disadvantage.

“That is why Labour is seeking to force a vote on the Government’s latest plans to scrap the bursary for postgraduate nursing students.

“The next Labour Government will ensure that our NHS gets the staff that it needs, and that every person who wants to can access higher education, by scrapping tuition fees and bringing back bursaries for nursing students.”

(Image: PA)

The axing of bursaries for the two-year fast track course comes after it was abolished for undergraduates completing three-year degrees and apprentices on a five-year course. This resulted in a huge drop off in applicants.

Cutting the nursing bursary for postgrads had previously been suggested but campaigners hoped the plan had been shelved due to the chronic staff shortages.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said: “The NHS is suffering from severe understaffing and the Government has failed to ensure we have the numbers of nurses and midwives needed to provide the quality of care patients deserve.

“Scrapping the NHS bursary will only deepen the crisis our NHS faces and Labour will fight this damaging cut every step of the way.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said some groups such as applicants with children or those in “exceptional hardship” will be able to apply for non-refundable grants.

The assessment said: “There is also some evidence that women, older students, those with a lower income and students from some religions are slightly more likely to be averse to taking out increased borrowing.

“The increased student loan borrowing burden for postgraduate and dental profession students may therefore make their participation on courses less likely.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Nursing, midwifery and allied health profession courses are already oversubscribed which means talented students are having their applications rejected.

“These funding changes have already led to 10,000 extra training places, meaning more staff working in the NHS than ever before and importantly, students will receive 25% more financial support whilst studying.”