https://www.health.org.uk/chart/new-data-on-nursing-student-numbers-released-by-ucas
We can see above the beginning of the Scottish Government response to the challenge of nurse supply which Brexit will almost exacerbate, with the biggest increase in acceptances for training across the UK and as the Tories in England show their customary callousness and incompetence.
A parliamentary question last Thursday by the always useful Miles Briggs reveals the continuing strategy in the subsequent year:
https://www.parliament.scot/S5ChamberOffice/WA20190307.pdf
Making the contrast within the UK even more clear last October, the Nursing Times pointed out:
‘Across the UK, new student nursing numbers are down by 1.28% to 26,890. It is a fall of 350 students on last year’s figure of 27,240. While the number fell in England and Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales saw significant increases, including a higher number of mature students. The biggest drop was in England where the number of nursing students fell by 570 to 20,250. It is a fall of 2.73% from 2017’s figure of 20,820. By contrast, Scotland saw an increase of 140 nursing students taking the total to 3340, an increase of 4.3% on 2017. In Wales the number rose by 90 to 1720, an increase of 5.52% on last year.’
The threat from Brexit was also made visible by Nursing Times:
‘The number of students from the rest of the European Union fell by 20 to 400 – a 4.7% reduction – while the figure for overseas students from non-EU nations rose by 30 to 130, up 30%.’
Talking-up Scotland 
I miss my Polish blonde nurse with the red stilettos
Another damned good reason to stay in EU
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You dream that? Me too
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In 2012 the Scottish Government cut the number of student nurse/midwife places from 2,700 to 2,400 because there was a record number of student nurses/midwives in training- 10,300 or so – and there was a concern that there would not be enough jobs for them.
Since then the number of student nursing/midwife places has been increased and for the academic year 2018-19 the intake was 3,724. Tuition fees paid by SG plus a bursary of around £6400 per annum which will be raised to £8,000 over the next year or so. In addition there is a Dependants Allowance for those students who qualify. Around £3,400 for an adult dependant and around £2,500 for the first child and just under £600 for subsequent children. There is also help available for childcare for single parent student nurses/midwives.
In addition to this the SG set up a 3 year recruitment campaign in 2015 to attract qualified nurses/midwives back into the NHS. It was quite successful.
By contrast when the Tories came to power the cut the number of places for student nurses and although they have increased them since it did not take them back to the pre-2010 level.
Then they cut the bursaries and stopped paying the tuition fees. Then Brexit…and the rest is history.
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