Latest news with #PatriciaMarquis
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
NHS ‘to rely on migrants' as Government cuts British nurse training
The Government has cut funding for nursing courses in a move that risks undermining its pledge to end the NHS's reliance on foreign workers. Ministers have quietly frozen grants that are paid to universities to help them cover the higher costs of training medical workers. Critics reacted by warning that the move, which represents a real-terms cut, would 'worsen an already difficult situation' in the sector and 'leave us more reliant' on imported labour. It will also prompt fears of further cuts down the line, with education set to be one of the losers in Rachel Reeves's spending review this week. Universities are already struggling to keep nursing courses afloat, with research showing that many are cutting lecturer jobs to save cash. In last year's manifesto, Labour pledged to 'end the long-term reliance on overseas workers' with a 'workforce and training plan' for the NHS. However, Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, has now frozen grants which are paid to universities to cover the extra costs of running medical courses. Those include courses for nursing, midwifery and 'allied health professionals' such as paramedics, radiographers and occupational therapists. In a letter to the Office for Students, she said the per-student funding levels should be kept the same as last year, representing a real-terms cut. That is part of an overall reduction of £108 million in the cash that has been made available for the Strategic Priorities Grant this year. Patricia Marquis, the executive director for the Royal College of Nursing in England, said nursing courses were already under threat from the 'financial crisis' at universities. 'A freeze in per student funding, effectively a real-terms cut, could make a bad situation worse, resulting in not only more job losses, but impacting the very financial viability of nursing courses,' she warned. 'University courses are the single biggest route into the profession, and this would be a disaster. Additional funding should be released to protect nursing courses in response to rising costs.' Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK, also warned that the cuts to the grant risked 'worsening an already difficult situation'. She said that the move, combined with a recent decision to slash cash for apprenticeships, would have a 'detrimental impact on training our healthcare workforce'. 'Universities are committed to delivering what this country needs, including a strong and sustainable NHS workforce, and are crucial to training talent,' she said. 'We can't create a future-proof NHS workforce without long-term, sustained investment from the government.' Ms Phillipson said in her letter to the OfS that universities should prioritise funding for nursing courses as 'a strategically important subject'. She targeted grants for other courses and in particular media studies and journalism, which have been derided by some as 'Mickey Mouse' degrees. But despite that, it appears there was still only enough money in the pot for her to restrict the hit to medical courses to a real-terms cut. Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, said the move was 'yet more evidence that Labour aren't serious about cutting immigration'. 'At a time when we should be training more British people to become nurses, they've cut teaching grants for universities and scrapped almost all higher-level apprenticeships, leaving an 11,000 shortfall in the NHS workforce plan,' she said. 'These decisions will leave us more reliant on foreign labour, when we should be training British people for British jobs.' The Department for Education is facing steep real-terms cuts to its budget when the Chancellor unveils her spending review on Wednesday. She will set out the annual funding totals that all Whitehall departments receive from next year until almost the end of the decade. Most are expecting to see their budgets squeezed to free up more cash for health and defence, which will be the two big winners. Within education, the schools budget is ring-fenced, meaning it cannot be cut. Early years provision, meanwhile, is a flagship Labour policy with the party pledging to fund the creation of 100,000 new nursery places. That means that higher education, including universities and apprenticeships, is expected to bear the brunt of the cuts imposed on the department. A Government spokesman said: 'We hugely value the work of talented nurses and midwives which is why we have prioritised Strategic Priorities Grant funding for important, high-cost courses, including nursing and midwifery, that are vital for economic growth and our Plan for Change. 'The dire situation we inherited has meant this Government must take tough decisions to put universities on a firmer financial footing and we're continuing to support them, including by increasing the amount they can charge in tuition fees. 'We are rebuilding the NHS for the benefit of patient and staff, and ensuring nursing remains an attractive career choice, including by unveiling a refreshed workforce plan to ensure we have the right staff in the right place so the NHS can be there for everyone.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
NHS ‘to rely on migrants' as Government cuts British nurse training
The Government has cut funding for nursing courses in a move that risks undermining its pledge to end the NHS's reliance on foreign workers. Ministers have quietly frozen grants that are paid to universities to help them cover the higher costs of training medical workers. Critics reacted by warning that the move, which represents a real-terms cut, would ' worsen an already difficult situatio n' in the sector and 'leave us more reliant' on imported labour. It will also prompt fears of further cuts down the line, with education set to be one of the losers in Rachel Reeves's spending review this week. Universities are already struggling to keep nursing courses afloat, with research showing that many are cutting lecturer jobs to save cash. In last year's manifesto, Labour pledged to 'end the long-term reliance on overseas workers' with a 'workforce and training plan' for the NHS. However, Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, has now frozen grants which are paid to universities to cover the extra costs of running medical courses. Those include courses for nursing, midwifery and 'allied health professionals' such as paramedics, radiographers and occupational therapists. In a letter to the Office for Students, she said the per-student funding levels should be kept the same as last year, representing a real-terms cut. That is part of an overall reduction of £108 million in the cash that has been made available for the Strategic Priorities Grant this year. Patricia Marquis, the executive director for the Royal College of Nursing in England, said nursing courses were already under threat from the 'financial crisis' at universities. 'A freeze in per student funding, effectively a real-terms cut, could make a bad situation worse, resulting in not only more job losses, but impacting the very financial viability of nursing courses,' she warned. 'University courses are the single biggest route into the profession, and this would be a disaster. Additional funding should be released to protect nursing courses in response to rising costs.' 'A detrimental impact' on training Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK, also warned that the cuts to the grant risked 'worsening an already difficult situation'. She said that the move, combined with a recent decision to slash cash for apprenticeships, would have a 'detrimental impact on training our healthcare workforce'. 'Universities are committed to delivering what this country needs, including a strong and sustainable NHS workforce, and are crucial to training talent,' she said. 'We can't create a future-proof NHS workforce without long-term, sustained investment from the government.' Ms Phillipson said in her letter to the OfS that universities should prioritise funding for nursing courses as 'a strategically important subject'. She targeted grants for other courses and in particular media studies and journalism, which have been derided by some as 'Mickey Mouse' degrees. But despite that, it appears there was still only enough money in the pot for her to restrict the hit to medical courses to a real-terms cut. Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, said the move was 'yet more evidence that Labour aren't serious about cutting immigration'. 'At a time when we should be training more British people to become nurses, they've cut teaching grants for universities and scrapped almost all higher-level apprenticeships, leaving an 11,000 shortfall in the NHS workforce plan,' she said. 'These decisions will leave us more reliant on foreign labour, when we should be training British people for British jobs.' The Department for Education is facing steep real-terms cuts to its budget when the Chancellor unveils her spending review on Wednesday. She will set out the annual funding totals that all Whitehall departments receive from next year until almost the end of the decade. Most are expecting to see their budgets squeezed to free up more cash for health and defence, which will be the two big winners. Within education, the schools budget is ring-fenced, meaning it cannot be cut. Early years provision, meanwhile, is a flagship Labour policy with the party pledging to fund the creation of 100,000 new nursery places. A Government spokesman said: 'We hugely value the work of talented nurses and midwives which is why we have prioritised Strategic Priorities Grant funding for important, high-cost courses, including nursing and midwifery, that are vital for economic growth and our Plan for Change. 'The dire situation we inherited has meant this Government must take tough decisions to put universities on a firmer financial footing and we're continuing to support them, including by increasing the amount they can charge in tuition fees. 'We are rebuilding the NHS for the benefit of patient and staff, and ensuring nursing remains an attractive career choice, including by unveiling a refreshed workforce plan to ensure we have the right staff in the right place so the NHS can be there for everyone.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
These Are What You Wanted As First Cars (And What You Got Instead)
We've all got automotive dreams and, for some of us, those dreams start before we're even able to drive. Once we get that license in our hot little hands, we'd pick up a dream machine that would make the world our easily accessible oyster. That didn't happen for a lot of us. Myself? As a girl who listened to indie music and read too much, I thought I'd get a quirky classic Volkswagen as a first car. My dad and I plunked $700 on a rusted out bag of German bolts in the form of an unloved, rusty Karmann Ghia. As soon as the flatbed arrived in our driveway, my naturally nervous mother said no. Absolutely not. Looking back, it was a totally fair call. Having driven a Ghia, I can say with coincidence I would have gotten in trouble in that little coke can of a car pretty quickly. Instead I got my mom's hand-me-down 1995 Dodge Avenger. And you know what? It was the right choice. Good call Patricia Marquis. If your ignore the whole teenager trying to pay insurance in pricy Michigan on what was laughingly called a "sports car" by State Farm, it was the perfect teenager car: low, slow and no back seat for shenanigans. It was just right. Sometimes, Mama knows best, it seems. We asked you about your dreams deferred and got a lot of comments. Here's a few of our favorites. Read more: These Are The Dumbest Looking Cars Of All Time, According To You '89 Dodge Caravan. At first this seemed cataclysmically awful, and I felt I was sent down a path to become a basement incel. But it ended up being the gift that kept on giving. Vans are about parties and life and road trips. When all the cool girls wanted to go road tripping with a safe driver, who did they call? Or nerd girls whom I liked better anyway. But the point is: me. They all called me. Clubs, Tijuana. Camping trips out to the mountains or desert. You name it. This was well before the age of Uber and such. A minivan in high school and college are the keys to a rich social life. And the cherry on top is this thing had a manual transmission. Always a conversation starter in a minivan. From Greg really really really wanted a 2nd gen Prelude, Talon or CRX. Actually found a 1990 CRX for $500 in the classifieds (remember those?) and called immediately, and the phone was busy and I had to get to school. Called the second I got home and it was sold. Still sore about that. Anyways, ended up with my dad's hand me down 89 ranger, had a 5 speed and it was brown and had a 302 with a cam in it so it wasnt a total loss. From JaredOfLondon i just got my first car, it's a 2014 Mazda 3 sedan. however, i wanted this beautiful 1977 buick Electra which was beige, everything inside and outside was beige, and it had the 3speed automatic slush box peak 70s imo. that or a '71 bug which was melon green and had the 4speed manual that mom also said no to :( From daci I wanted to buy my friends Grand National in 1995. He only wanted $3,000 for it. It was high mileage but my dad (who's a mechanic) said no. Instead he gave me a 1984 145,000 miles on it. Everyone in my family of 3 siblings had owned it at some point. My friends GN blew up 5 days after I passed up on it and that Camaro lasted me 3 years and 45,000 more miles. From J Hendrix I started driving in ~1995. I should state for the record that I am a Late-Gen X Kid with decidedly Boomer tastes. I don't know why, I can't help it, and neither can you. Anyway, I really loved (and still love) the look of the C3 Corvette. I know it's a bad opinion, but I won't lie to you all. I desperately wanted a C3 Corvette. What I actually got was a 1985 Honda Accord Coupe in the hatchback configuration. It was painted a color that was probably billed as "Champagne" with a reddish-brown interior and a slushbox. It ran for years, all the way out to 250,000 miles. It looked like this, only... considerably worse. From Give Me Tacos or Give Me Death WHAT I WANTED: My aunt's neighbor's 1967 Mustang hardtop, baby blue with a black vinyl roof and wire wheel covers. It looked like a secretary's car but it had a 390 under the hood and was a real sleeper. The owner was asking $1800 for the car in 1981, but i was right out of HS and did not have the cash for the car nor the insurance. WHAT I GOT: In 1983, i bought a 1973 Pontiac Ventura with a 250ci straight six and a two-speed automatic. I purchased the car in the parking lot of an Acme supermarket in South Philly from a guy who never confirmed he was the actual owner of the car. i drove the car for a year before the engine block cracked when the temperature plunged to below zero and stayed there for almost a week. From Earthbound Misfit I I was lucky. I didn't know what I wanted, and I got a '63 Rambler Classic 4-door. Mitt Romney might have seen his as a penalty box, but I considered mine a blank canvas. Which, considering it was off-white with a tan interior, wasn't far off the mark. I went to work on it, and it led me down the road of innocent cars turned into serious hot rods. I still enjoy that trip. From jrhmobile I got my license in 2007 and wanted an RSX-S. I thought it was the coolest car ever when it came out a few years prior, but ended up with my grandma's 1998 VW Cabrio instead. I did end up buying an RSX later on once I was out of college and it was every bit as great as I thought it would be. From BigRed91 In 1971 I turned 16 and got a 1963 Valiant convertible. It served up lots of fun for years. I had wanted a BMW 1600 that was available, but I didn't realize I could afford it. I probably dodged a bullet. From XL500 I loved cars with fins, so I really wanted a '59 Cadillac convertible. That or a '66 Lincoln Continental convertible with suicide door. I did get a car with fins, though. My first car was a '60 Chevy El Camino that my Dad dragged home from behind a bowling alley. He and I bodged it together, and I drove it all through high school and part of college. I eventually traded it for a "69 Lincoln Continental hardtop, so I did get the suicide doors I craved. Still haven't gotten the '59 Caddy, but hope springs eternal. From Stillnotatony I'm not really sure what I wanted for myself to be honest. My family had had several Corvettes over the years (73, 77, and an 84, the 73 before I was even born), and I was a fanboy for the 63 split window, though I knew we'd likely never get one of those. I had been bugging them about getting a chrome bumpered C3 for a while as the next Vette for the household. We went and looked at an orange 71 when I was 14 and my parents pulled the trigger on it. I ended up driving it part of the way home on my learner's permit with my mom and effectively called squatter's rights on it and it was "unofficially" my car from that point on. Granted I did a lot of work on it with my dad. It was probably more "officially" the family "fun" car, as we pretty much always had at least one fun vehicle in the garage growing up, but I drove it to high school and college and still have it to this day almost 25 years later. From MoparMap Unrealistically, I wanted a 2005 Mustang GT. I turned 16 in 2008, so these were three years out and selling hot. I did not have the cash to purchase a new-ish Mustang. Realistically, I had my eyes on a Chevy HHR. I liked the retro wagon look! Alas, the interior is deceivingly cramped for such a large greenhouse. Also could not find one in above average condition for the price range What I ended up getting From Greasetank I wanted a 65 Mustang, either coupe or convertible. I ended up with my mom's 76 Mustang II. Which let to me getting an 80 Mustang coupe, then an 85 Mustang coupe, then an 89 convertible (still have) and a 96 convertible (also still have). ...yet no 65 still. From FiveLiters1 Wanted a '65 Mustang coupe or late 80's Camaro IROC-Z. What I got was a hand-me-down 1985 Chevrolet Cavalier with a leaky sunroof. It was still decent performance for a Cavalier as it was a Z24 with the 2.8L V6 and wider tires. Then, as an adult, I looked up how much horsepower it actually had and was surprised it was barely over 100. From Michael Tonelli I wanted an SN95 era Mustang Cobra in that teal/blue/purple iridescent paint scheme. I wanted that Mustang right up until I was 20 and I got job where one coworker had an early aughts GT and another got a new C6. While that may not be a fair comparison, my first ride in that C6 effectively killed my love for the Mustang. What I got was a brown Taurus wagon. Considering my lack of coolness and social circle at the time, I definitely think I got in more shenanigans because of the wagon capacity than I would have in a fast car that probably would have just been crashed or license quickly suspended. From engineerthefuture Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NHS over-reliant on overseas staff, health chiefs warn
A fifth of current NHS staff were recruited from overseas, prompting fears about an overreliance on a non-British workforce. The proportion of overseas NHS England staff has risen from 9% in 2009 to 20% in September last year. The British Medical Association (BMA) said successive governments had neglected workforce planning. The government said the NHS was committed to developing homegrown talent. NHS England statistics show 311,000 employees have a nationality other than British out of a total workforce of 1.5 million. The current long-term plan aims for between nine and 11% of NHS staff to be overseas recruits. Dr Latifa Patel, a chief officer at the BMA, said there was "no point" in targets without adequate funding. She said: "How many doctors do we have at the moment? How many medical school places do we have? "Without the funding, we will always have a reliance on overseas doctors." International recruits have been important to the NHS since its introduction in 1948. However, the NHS Long-term Workforce Plan warned a growing reliance on overseas staff "leaves the NHS exposed to future global shocks and fluctuations in international workforce supply". Patricia Marquis, the executive director of the Royal College of Nursing in England, said investment in recruiting and retaining the UK workforce was "absolutely critical". "People from overseas have been the bedrock of the NHS since its inception," she said. "The downside is that we are probably at the point of having an over-reliance on people from overseas and not actually investing in our current workforce and systems to encourage people from the UK to become nurses themselves." Dr Patel said the NHS was "an incredibly attractive place" for overseas staff to come and work. This was echoed by Benjamin Andoh, 28, a dietician who specialises in diabetics, who left home in Ghana and moved to Nottingham. He came to the UK for a higher salary and training opportunities and works at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH). "The UK gives a specialist dietician like me greater options," he said. "I also want to do certain things like training, which is not available in Ghana. "In terms of my professional development, it's really helped me." It was a big move for Benjamin, who had not left Ghana before, but he said the hospital's pastoral team had been very helpful. "They are my family here." Its pastoral care for international staff is award winning and has contributed to an unusually high retention rate, particularly for nursing staff. Onyinye Enwezor is the international recruitment pastoral lead. She said moving to the UK can be "quite disorientating" but "with the right support and guidance they can settle in". Since she started in the role two years ago, she said no international nurses had left the trust. "Currently, our retention rate is quite high because of the support that we offer." Across the Midlands, 17% of NHS staff had non-British nationalities, but the picture is not consistent across England, both geographically and by speciality. As of September last year, almost one in three NHS staff in London had a non-British nationality. About 58% of speciality doctors were non-British compared to only 8% of ambulance staff. Tracy Pilcher, chief nurse at Nottingham University Hospitals, said there were specific areas where the trust was particularly reliant on international recruitment, such as occupational therapy and paediatric nursing. "We know we are not able to recruit them either locally in Nottingham or across the UK," she said. Despite the importance of international staff, Dr Patel warned there was a "huge retention problem" in the NHS. The issue applies to both doctors who are UK graduates and international graduates, she said. "You can put as many doctors as you want in the system," she said. "But if you're flushing doctors out and not retaining them in those jobs, you're not really going to achieve your end goal." Despite the concerns regarding long-term sustainability, Ms Pilcher said overseas recruits can bring skills, knowledge and passion to their roles. Dr Patel agreed, saying that "having that sort of international knowledge come into the UK is incredibly important". "Each doctor is shaped and framed by their experiences, the training they're receiving, environments and areas they've worked in and all doctors will bring that unique experience with them." A government spokesman said the NHS had always drawn on international talent. "The service is stronger for it and millions of patients are grateful for the skilled and compassionate care they have received from staff from overseas," the spokesman said. Additional reporting: Miguel Roca-Terry
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
NHS over-reliant on overseas staff, health chiefs warn
A fifth of current NHS staff were recruited from overseas, prompting fears about an overreliance on a non-British proportion of overseas NHS England staff has risen from 9% in 2009 to 20% in September last British Medical Association (BMA) said successive governments had neglected workforce government said the NHS was committed to developing homegrown talent. NHS England statistics show 311,000 employees have a nationality other than British out of a total workforce of 1.5 current long-term plan aims for between nine and 11% of NHS staff to be overseas recruits. Dr Latifa Patel, a chief officer at the BMA, said there was "no point" in targets without adequate said: "How many doctors do we have at the moment? How many medical school places do we have?"Without the funding, we will always have a reliance on overseas doctors."International recruits have been important to the NHS since its introduction in 1948. However, the NHS Long-term Workforce Plan warned a growing reliance on overseas staff "leaves the NHS exposed to future global shocks and fluctuations in international workforce supply".Patricia Marquis, the executive director of the Royal College of Nursing in England, said investment in recruiting and retaining the UK workforce was "absolutely critical"."People from overseas have been the bedrock of the NHS since its inception," she said."The downside is that we are probably at the point of having an over-reliance on people from overseas and not actually investing in our current workforce and systems to encourage people from the UK to become nurses themselves." Dr Patel said the NHS was "an incredibly attractive place" for overseas staff to come and was echoed by Benjamin Andoh, 28, a dietician who specialises in diabetics, who left home in Ghana and moved to Nottingham. He came to the UK for a higher salary and training opportunities and works at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH)."The UK gives a specialist dietician like me greater options," he said."I also want to do certain things like training, which is not available in Ghana."In terms of my professional development, it's really helped me."It was a big move for Benjamin, who had not left Ghana before, but he said the hospital's pastoral team had been very helpful."They are my family here." Its pastoral care for international staff is award winning and has contributed to an unusually high retention rate, particularly for nursing Enwezor is the international recruitment pastoral said moving to the UK can be "quite disorientating" but "with the right support and guidance they can settle in".Since she started in the role two years ago, she said no international nurses had left the trust."Currently, our retention rate is quite high because of the support that we offer." Inconsistent picture Across the Midlands, 17% of NHS staff had non-British nationalities, but the picture is not consistent across England, both geographically and by of September last year, almost one in three NHS staff in London had a non-British 58% of speciality doctors were non-British compared to only 8% of ambulance staff. Tracy Pilcher, chief nurse at Nottingham University Hospitals, said there were specific areas where the trust was particularly reliant on international recruitment, such as occupational therapy and paediatric nursing."We know we are not able to recruit them either locally in Nottingham or across the UK," she said. Despite the importance of international staff, Dr Patel warned there was a "huge retention problem" in the issue applies to both doctors who are UK graduates and international graduates, she said."You can put as many doctors as you want in the system," she said."But if you're flushing doctors out and not retaining them in those jobs, you're not really going to achieve your end goal." 'Richness and experience' Despite the concerns regarding long-term sustainability, Ms Pilcher said overseas recruits can bring skills, knowledge and passion to their Patel agreed, saying that "having that sort of international knowledge come into the UK is incredibly important"."Each doctor is shaped and framed by their experiences, the training they're receiving, environments and areas they've worked in and all doctors will bring that unique experience with them." A government spokesman said the NHS had always drawn on international talent. "The service is stronger for it and millions of patients are grateful for the skilled and compassionate care they have received from staff from overseas," the spokesman reporting: Miguel Roca-Terry
