Huge interest among young people in NHS careers, says new survey
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A major new survey, published today, shows that ambitious plans to
recruit thousands of extra healthcare professionals will likely
only succeed if greater financial support is offered to students
and these careers are made more appealing. The Censuswide survey,
commissioned by Universities UK and analysed by the Nuffield Trust,
spoke to more than 5,000 young people across the UK, aged between
16 and 26. It found that 73%[2] are considering or have
considered a career in...Request free
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A major new survey, published today, shows that ambitious plans to recruit thousands of extra healthcare professionals will likely only succeed if greater financial support is offered to students and these careers are made more appealing. The Censuswide survey, commissioned by Universities UK and analysed by the Nuffield Trust, spoke to more than 5,000 young people across the UK, aged between 16 and 26. It found that 73%[2] are considering or have considered a career in healthcare, with nursing (39%), medicine (35%), and midwifery (22%) the most popular courses for these respondents and those who already work in healthcare. Improving the lives of others (46%) is the reason most often given for their interest in these careers, closely followed by having a rewarding career (40%). Around three-quarters of respondents said they would be more likely to choose to study a healthcare course at university if they received additional financial support (e.g. grants and loans) while studying (cited by 72%[3]) or if they were paid for their clinical placements (73%[4]). Universities UK is calling for maintenance support to keep up with the increased cost of living to relieve financial pressures on healthcare students. The survey also shows that the vast majority are being put off embarking on healthcare careers because of perceptions of low pay (90%), poor work/life balance (82%), stress of the job (79%), and long working hours (75%)5. Universities are already working closely with the UK Government and health leaders to increase supply to meet growing need in the health service, and to implement the long-term workforce plan in England. The central tenet of the plan, which has widespread political support, is to embark on the biggest recruitment drive in health service history but this requires sufficient people enrolling onto clinical courses and working in the NHS on graduation. To meet the nation’s future healthcare needs, clinical professionals will be needed in a broad range of fields and from across the UK, so universities are working hard and together to recruit students from a more diverse range of backgrounds, for example through partnerships between different institutions to open campuses in areas where there are shortages of medical professionals [see case studies in Notes]. The survey suggests strong interest among the most disadvantaged, as those eligible for free school meals are more likely to consider healthcare careers than those who have never been eligible other respondents (78 v 70%)6. However, young people whose parents did not go to university are less likely to consider studying medicine (30%) than those who had one parent (35%) or both parents (42%) that went to university7. Only 20% of respondents claimed to be ‘very familiar’ with the variety of career options available within the NHS beyond becoming a doctor or nurse, showing a pressing need to promote the diversity of healthcare careers available, in schools and elsewhere, across the country. Alongside efforts to recruit the healthcare professionals of the future, universities are looking to make the most of robotics, artificial intelligence, and immersive technology to transform training , with initiatives ranging from virtual community placements to dental simulators. In October 2023, Universities UK, published a position paper with a series of recommendations for making healthcare education and careers more appealing, including:
Professor Alistair Fitt, Universities UK’s health policy lead, and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, said: “The good news from this survey is the strong interest among young people for rewarding healthcare careers. With broad political support to significantly increase the number of healthcare staff, the challenge is how we make NHS careers attainable for many more potential students. “The health service needs a pipeline of talent to be able to provide high-quality care. Universities have a vital role in training that talent and stand ready to deliver through innovative approaches to education and training. However, without bold and urgent change, ambitious plans for the future of the NHS in England are set to fall flat.” Dr Billy Palmer, Senior Fellow at the Nuffield Trust, commented:
“The survey is a reminder of how perceptions of poor working conditions in the NHS can throw our chances of achieving a sustainable, homegrown supply of clinical staff into jeopardy. It not only highlights the need for additional support and more positive perceptions of clinical careers but also brings into stark relief the factors behind the avoidably high leaver rates during degrees and early on in clinicians' careers. “The survey also points at solutions, with around three-quarters8 of young people more likely to choose to study a health care course at university if their tuition fees could be written off for working in the NHS. We have previously argued that a student loans forgiveness scheme is an instant and affordable way to increase the number of applications to clinical courses as well as reducing the numbers leaving during training or early in their career.” ENDS Case studies of universities supporting the NHS: With a severe shortage of GPs in the south of England, King’s College London and the University of Portsmouth recently announced a partnership to jointly deliver a medical degree through a branch campus in Portsmouth. The University of Hull’s Pathways to Medicine programmes in partnership with the Sutton Trust offer opportunities to students from state schools in the north of England to widen access to medical education. Students taking part gain insight into medicine as a career, including how to apply to medical school, receive mentoring from current medical students, as well as an online or residential summer school. https://www.hyms.ac.uk/about/information-for-schools/pathways-to-medicine Supporting quote: “It is reassuring that so many young people are interested in a healthcare career and with an increasing 18-year-old population and a growing number of NHS vacancies, it is right that we look to understand how they feel about working in the health service. Medical schools believe that the medical profession should reflect the people it serves and over the last decade, medical schools have been actively working to widen access to medicine. Measures include outreach with schools, the development of gateway programmes and other alternative routes and the use of contextual admissions. Medical schools have also joined colleagues in the sector in calling for student funding reforms, with particular reference to the NHS Bursary and the cost of living crisis. “During the pandemic, medicine experienced an application boost which was helped by greater public exposure to the role and importance of healthcare workers. It is therefore not unexpected that the current environment continues to influence application decisions. As universities prepare to meet the expansion ambitions set out in the Long-Term Workforce plan, it is imperative that alongside increases in places, we are working to address the pressures faced by the health service to ensure students can achieve long-term productive careers in the NHS.” – Katie Petty-Saphon, Medical Schools Council Chief Executive Notes to editors
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