£6,000 childcare for trainee nurses

A new childcare allowance worth almost £6,000 annually will be introduced for trainee nurses, the Health Secretary is announcing today.

Dr John Reid will outline the payments that are aimed at making it easier for people to enter the health service where there is a shortage of staff. The new allowance will be worth £114 a week for one child and £170 a week for two or more children.

The project is set to make a huge difference to students on diploma courses who receive a £5,200 annual bursary. They study all year round, unlike those on degree courses who have long breaks.

The details of the scheme have not been released but if the allowance is paid all year for diploma students it will be worth £5,928. About 6,000 trainee nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals will benefit from the £ 17million scheme that will come into effect in September. All existing and new trainees will be eligible for the payments.

Once new students qualify and begin work there are other childcare benefits available but this payment is designed to help parents while they are training.

The Department of Health hope the scheme will extend the number of entrants training for the healthcare professions and stop them dropping out. The announcement will be made at the Royal College of Nursing annual congress in Harrogate.