Thousands of students nurses put their lives and careers on the line and were promised 6 months paid placements but now the majority of student nurses have been told their contracts will be terminated in July, far less than the 6 months promised.
In April around 25,000 student nurses and midwives, many coming from Canterbury Christ Church University, opted in to assist on the NHS frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of unprecedented measures to ensure the health service was not overwhelmed.
The posts were advertised as 6 month paid placements, but now the majority of student nurses have been told their contracts will be terminated in July, far less than the 6 months promised. Having made life and financial choices so that they could do their part for the NHS, many will now face hardship.
Becky Thomson, President (elect) of Christ Church Students’ Union, had this to say:
“Student nurses have been the backbone of the COVID-19 pandemic. Being called upon by the government to utilise their skills and support the country in navigating the crisis, only to be left bereft and lost when their contract was rescinded without notice. Not only did thousands of students cut short their studies but also put their lives and careers on the line only to be treated appallingly by the same government that encouraged us to clap for them. Many student nurses are now jobless and facing financial hardship due to complete disregard for their sacrifices. We need to be talking about this and campaigning to gain compensation and security for all of those students affected.”
Christ Church Students’ Union believes that our student nurses deserve better and we will be looking into avenues of how we can support them, and fight for them.
