A research project commissioned by a group of healthcare stakeholders including, the Society of Radiographers, is aiming to evaluate the impact of student funding changes on AHP courses.
From August 2017, new students will no longer have their course fees paid by Health Education England, but instead will have access to the standard student support system provided by the Student Loans Company.
It’s anticipated that the impact of these changes will be most felt on courses which already struggle to fill their current university places, such as:
- therapeutic radiography
- podiatry
- orthotists and prosthetists
- orthoptics
The research project, therefore, aims to provide insights that support the development of future marketing and engagement activity to encourage applications to these courses.
The SoR is part of the working party responsible for managing the project going forward.
Bids to carry out the project from suppliers are currently being evaluated, with a preferred bidder to be announced in due course.
Read the research brief in full.
Charlotte Beardmore, director of professional policy at the SCoR, said, “We are pleased to be part of this work, having suggested that therapeutic radiography could be a vulnerable profession as a result of the funding changes for healthcare students.
“We hope that the research will provide more detailed understanding about why, or not, therapeutic radiography is chosen as a programme to study and help understand further work that should be undertaken to ensure the future supply of the profession.”