Draft Union Policy Proposal
Union Notes

-Currently Nurses, Midwives, Podiatrists, Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapy have their degree funded via an NHS bursary, although it pays around 20 - 30% less than the loan it is not repayable. Under the current spending review proposals this will be scrapped and moved to a loan based system.

-Currently funded Health Science Students receive a reduced bursary in their final year in line with other students even though many degree courses do not finish until september of the graduating year. The NHS bursary is means tested, for a student who is not eligible for the bursary in their final year the maximum they will receive is only £2800 - £1000 grant from NHS bursary which is not means tested, and £1800 as a maintenance loan from Student Finance England.

-Currently funded Health Science Students are able to claim travel and accommodation of placement under the NHS Bursary. Students may be placed all over the uk meaning that students will often spend hours of their day travelling to placement, or living in nearby accommodation meaning that they will often be away from campus for long periods of time.

-Health Science students often undertake a placement part of their degree, they work alongside a graduate of their profession often working shifts as long as 13 hours for zero pay. Students are 'Supernumary' but often undertake a caseload of the work.
-Currently the NHS bursary is paid for by 'LETB'S' Local Education Training Boards, for Southampton we come under the region of Health Education Wessex, under the new proposals for loan financing this allows the government to remove the cap on the number of student nurses, meaning that there will be up to 10'000 more student nurses. With the removal of this cap it is possible for more higher education institutions to start offering Nursing as a degree.

-There is currently a shortage of placement places, the increase in nurse numbers will place a greater strain on local NHS Trusts to allocate places.

-Many students work alongside their studies as they find that the bursary is not financially stable for them.
-The proposed changes will be introduced for the cohort commencing their degree in Sept 2017.

-Health Science degrees will be exempt from the rule preventing students who already have a degree accessing further loan finance.
-Health Sciences students who complete a degree will enter the NHS as a 'band 5' this will mean that the pay will be around 21.7k, on top of expensive regulatory body and trade union fees these students will look to pay around £379/yr.

-There is currently no plans to increase band 5 pay, the Kings Fund (http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h6250.full?
ijkey=zY6GTCFmkk70vmU&keytype=ref@GGByrneSTN) reports that those in a band 5 position have had a real term cut of around 3.1% in terms of inflation.

-Student maintenance grants are being scrapped.




Union Believes
-It is important to fill the shortages of Nurses within the NHS, and address attrition rates within degrees.
-Students from disadvantaged backgrouns will be most affected by the scrap of the maintenance grant, with many leaving higher education with debts in excess of £50k.

-That jobs within the NHS will be more competitive with the proposed cap removal.

-Students from disadvantaged backgrounds may be put off starting a degree due to the lack of financial support.

-There will be a greater demand and competition for Health Science postgraduate places.

-Students on placement should have their supernumeracy status honoured and should never be included in staffing numbers.

-Although the student loan will be available to students who have completed a first degree, the idea of having to pay back over 100k for two degrees will put many students off switching to health sciences.


Union Resolves
-To condemn the government for the removal of the maintenance grant.

-To work with the NUS, Profession specific Trade Unions, University of Southampton and the Council of Deans to lobby for the following issues proposed with the change to the Loans Based system to be addressed for Health Science Students.

-Ensuring that students who have to travel to or stay in local accommodation for placement are still able to claim expenses.

-That the local NHS Trusts (University Hospitals Southampton, Portsmouth Hospitals Trust, Isle of Wight Trust, Southern Health Trust, Solent Trust and North Hampshire Hospitals Trust) Have protected placement places for University of Southampton students.
-There is additional financial support for students who are coming from a disadvantaged background.

-That the decrease in loan for final year Health Science students be addressed and that the additional amount of weeks university contact time are taken in to account when considering the loan which is paid to Health Science Students.

-That due to the increased amount of Student Nurses there are greater incentives by local NHS trusts and better pay for graduates commencing a band 5 position.


Union Mandates
-The University of Southampton Students Union to take a firm stance against the removal of the maintenance grant.

-The University of Southampton Students Union to lobby for the proposed changes listed in the Resolves.