Written question WQ89116
- Asked by
- Mabon ap GwynforPlaid
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 12 days
Question
How many student nurses are enrolled on nursing courses this new academic year (2023/24) in each university offering nursing courses, and how does this compare with every year for the past ten years?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services
Students recruited onto commissioned pre-registration nurse programmes delivered in Wales have increased by 79% over a ten-year period, from 1,004 students in 2013 to 1,793 students in 2022/23. This equates to an average increase of 7.8% each year.
13/14
14/15
15/16
16/17
17/18
18/19
19/20
20/21
21/22
22/23
23/24
Autumn only
Aberystwyth
University
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
53
85
Bangor
University
180
204
261
305
364
407
375
398
516
203
149
Cardiff
University
287
299
336
348
322
278
343
391
367
306
253
Open University
-
-
-
-
-
39
61
68
102
80
32
Swansea
University
273
273
345
355
401
453
500
534
508
406
294
University of
South Wales
264
283
392
380
398
441
351
508
502
512
490
Wrexham University
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
233
218
To note:
· Figures provided by HEIW.
· Aberystwyth and Wrexham Universities did not take on a cohort of nurses until 2022/23.
· The Open University did not take on a cohort of students until 2018/19.
· Indicative figures only for 2023/24 included as final intake numbers not known at this stage.
There are indications that numbers are returning to pre-pandemic levels after the atypical highs seen during the pandemic. However, overall applications for 2023 have increased when compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic) and are the third highest application numbers on record.
A reduction in applications for nursing is a trend that is being seen across the four UK nations and is not unique to Wales.