Applications to study midwifery and nursing increases by 5.8% in Scotland

on 19 March 2021

Applications to study midwifery and nursing in Scotland have increased by 5.8%, the ninth increase in a row, according to the Scottish Government.

Students applying for Scottish Government funded courses means 4,449 nursing and midwifery students will begin their studies 2021/22, up 243 places in 2020/21.

Sustainable workforce course numbers, which includes midwifery, increased by 6.3% in comparison to the previous year.

In Scotland, tuition is free for Scottish midwifery students and are supported by a bursary of £10,000 per annum.

Scottish Health Secretary, Jeane Freeman, said: “I am pleased to report that student intake in nursery, midwifery and paramedic science will continue to increase this year. Staffing in our NHS remains at a record high level following eight consecutive years of growth, but as we remobilise NHS services, we must keep looking to the future and plan ahead for the next generation of Scotland’s healthcare workforce.

“The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the integral role of nurses, midwives and paramedics, but it is just another example of the essential care they provide for Scotland’s population on a daily basis. I am deeply grateful to them for all the work they do, and I commend everyone who is studying for a career in these essential roles, or applying to, in these challenging times.”

Midwifery staffing over the course of the fifth Scottish Parliament has increased by 66%.

Source: Scottish Government