Over the last few years, drastic budget cuts have been made to the ongoing learning schedule of medical staff, and nurses in particular are feeling the hit.1 Pressure on the NHS in the form of funding cuts and a staffing crisis has led to nursing staff frequently being denied access to ongoing clinical training. Lack of access to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) means that NHS nurses can quickly lose touch with the latest clinical developments. This affects not only career progression and staff retention but, most importantly, may risk patient safety and affect the quality of care that patients receive.
Budget cuts hit ongoing nurse education
Recent cuts to Health Education England’s budget have resulted in a continued lack of investment into ongoing learning and development for nurses. In 2018/19, a central investment of £84 million was made into the training and development of the current workforce a third of which was spent in 2014/15.2 If the 2006/07 investment levels in training had been maintained, this value would be £2 billion higher.3 With the uncertainty that the current Brexit negotiations pose, it remains to be seen if additional investment will be made into NHS training in the upcoming Spending Review.
Training for UK nurses falls short
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