Allied health professional students in Wales will continue to receive NHS bursaries for 2017/18. A review of higher education funding will look at how student training is financed in the principality from 2018 onwards.
Bursaries were due to end in England and Wales from 1 August 2017. There is no indication that the Department of Health in England will follow the Welsh government and change the policy to remove bursaries in favour of loans.
The Health Secretary for Wales, Vaughan Gething, said: “We are prepared to invest in those people who want to make a commitment to our NHS.
“I believe that to ensure we have the workforce we need, it is important that any enhanced investment made in training and development is combined with an opportunity to work in Wales and a commitment to invest in Wales by those who benefit.
“Longer term arrangements for student support for health related subjects will be considered alongside the recommendations arising from the independent review of higher education funding and student finance led by Professor Diamond.
“We’re taking positive action to attract more health professionals across the country and throughout the UK to come to Wales to train, work and live. We will continue to invest in the education and training of individuals wanting to work in the NHS.”
The caveat to the revision for 2017/18 is that students will be required to commit in advance to work in Wales post qualification for a minimum of two years.