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PRNewswire-GNN London 29 June

London, 29 June /PRNewswire-GNN/ —

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH News Release (2006/0248) issued by The Government News
Network on 29 June 2006
Meetings to take place with stakeholders to update bursary

Nursing, midwifery, medical, dental and allied health professional students
will receive a 2.5 per cent uplift to their bursary from September 2006,
Health Minister Lord Warner confirmed today.

Speaking before a healthcare education and research parliamentary interest
group in London, Lord Warner said:

“I believe that overall our NHS students have had a good deal from this
Government with year on year increases in the NHS bursary rates since 1998.

“I am pleased to announce that this investment will continue and the bursary
will be increased by 2.5 per cent from September this year, demonstrating
continued commitment to training.”

Thanks to the increase students eligible for the non means-tested NHS
bursary could receive up to £7,030 per year plus other allowances depending
on their circumstances

On top of their NHS bursaries, nursing, midwifery, allied health professional
and 4th/5th year medical students also have their tuition fees paid in full
by the NHS.

Commenting on recent interim changes to the NHS bursary that allow pregnant
students to continue to receive their bursary Lord Warner said:

“So far more than 400 students have benefited from having their bursary paid
throughout their pregnancy.

“We could have potentially lost these students due to the lack of financial
support. I hope that these students, and others in the future, will feel
that they are able to return to the NHS when they feel ready to continue
their studies and go on to be our healthcare professionals of the future.”

The Department of Health has begun a series of meetings with all relevant
stakeholders including Unison, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal
College of Midwives, the BMA and the Allied Health Professionals Federation
to modernise the current student bursary scheme from 2007.

Elements of the student bursary to be discussed with Stakeholders include
individual allowances, formalising the interim maternity awards and reviewing
the efficiency of the scheme’s administration to improve the service to
students.

Notes to editors:

1. The rise will take affect from 1 September 2006

2. This means that the maximum amount of the basic NHS bursary will increase
to £7,030

3. It will apply to approximately 80,000 NHS funded students

4. Students in receipt NHS bursaries include trainee nurses, allied health
professionals and medical and dental students in years 5 and 6 of their
training

5. Students are strongly advised to check the rules and allowances on the
NHS Bursary before applying through the NHS Students Grants Unit. As the
bursary scheme is currently being discussed with stakeholders rules and
allowances may be subject to change.

6. Any changes to the NHS bursary scheme will be communicated to students as
quickly as possible. However, students now and in the future should consider
that there may be changes to their bursary when planning for subsequent years.

7. For Bursary enquiries and the new NHS bursary rates check the NHS Student
Grants Unit web site at: www.nhsstudentgrants.co.uk

8. For media enquiries ONLY please contact Sally Aldous at the Department
of Health Media Centre on 020 7210 5230

Department of Health