Our response to the Change NHS public consultation
RGSU Response to NHS 10-Year Plan Consultation
We are pleased to share that the Russell Group Students’ Union (RGSU), which represents 4 out of 5 of all medicine and dentistry students in the UK, has submitted a response to the NHS 10-Year Plan consultation. As representatives of healthcare and medical students, we felt it vital to highlight the challenges these students face and propose solutions that ensure they are better supported to become the future NHS workforce. Our submission outlined major challenges that continue to affect retention rates among healthcare students, alongside recommendations to address these issues.
Key points we raised include:
Increasing NHS bursaries: Financial strain is a leading reason students leave their courses. We’re calling for a significant increase in NHS bursaries, with annual adjustments to reflect inflation and rising living costs.
Paid placements: Unpaid placements place an unsustainable financial burden on students, many of whom cannot work part-time due to the demands of their training. Introducing paid placements would reduce this pressure and improve retention rates.
Standardising travel reimbursements: A fair, national policy for reimbursing travel expenses—including for late-night taxis—would help ensure all students, regardless of their location, receive equitable support.
Improving placement flexibility: Effective support for students with caring responsibilities or other challenges is essential to ensure no student is left behind.
Addressing accommodation concerns: Affordable, safe, and suitable housing near placement sites is crucial.
We believe these recommendations directly align with the NHS’s long-term goals to tackle workforce shortages and establish a sustainable future for our NHS. Our submission builds on our previous research, including our Cost-of-Living Report and the RGSU Student Manifesto, as well as the lived experiences of the students we represent. We look forward to working with NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to explore these solutions further.