Pay The Placement

Nursing students keep the NHS running, but they’re doing it for free.

Every day, they deliver frontline care in hospitals, clinics and communities. They do the same vital work as paid staff, while racking up thousands of unpaid hours and paying for travel, parking and meals - all while still covering tuition fees. It’s not fair. It’s not sustainable. And it’s pushing future nurses to the brink.

Placements are work, and work deserves pay.

The Problem

Most nursing students aren’t living the “typical” student life.

They are mature learners, parents and career changers, mostly women, juggling full-time placements, studies and family life.

They give over 2,300 hours of real patient care during their degree, doing the same work as paid NHS staff, but for £0 an hour.

No pay. No recognition. No time.

Placements take over their lives. Many can’t take on paid work or get involved in the things that make university more than just study, like clubs, sports, societies, volunteering, or even time to rest.

This isn’t just unfair. It’s isolating. And it’s unsustainable.

sign: could you afford to work 40 hours unpaid

THE NUMBERS

The numbers say it all:

70% of nursing students have considered quitting their course because of financial pressure, compared to 26–41% of undergraduates overall.
£30–£70 a week is the average cost of travelling to placement.
60,000+ student nurses keep the NHS running for free.
At Essex, healthcare students are 17% of the student body, but just 6% of event attendees and 3% of sports members, shut out by time and money.

Scenario	Hourly Rate	Total (for 2,300 hours)	Context
UK average (all sectors)	£18.94/hr	£43,562	National average pay (for comparison)
Realistic healthcare rate	£13/hr	£29,900	Typical NHS support band rate
Minimum wage (21+ from Apr 2025)	£11.44/hr	£26,312	Legal minimum — still higher than £0
Actual placement pay	£0/hr	£0	Current reality for nursing students

Thousands of hours. Essential work. Zero pay.

This is not just a funding issue – it is a fairness issue.

What we’re fighting for

1. Paid Placements

We’re pushing for all nursing and healthcare students to be paid for their placements. Because real work deserves real pay, simple as that.

2. National Change

We’re backing the Royal College of Nursing’s call for a full review of healthcare student funding. The system’s broken and it’s time the Government fixed it.

3. Local Action

We’re acting now by being clear about the real costs of healthcare courses, including uniforms, DBS checks, transport and parking. We’re launching a second-hand uniform sale, creating a pre-placement guide for HSC students, and pushing for better local support, including lower travel costs, more discounts and increased Hardship Loans.

What nursing students say

We asked nursing students to: 'Name one thing what'd make your placements better...'

“Payment during placement. This is especially important over summer placements, as the last SFE payment is in April. This does not stretch through to end of academic year.”

“More support for students. I had a very horrible experience during my last placement. The learning support fund is not enough, because £2.50 does not cover much of our transportation.”

“Not to be treated like a paid member of staff. We should be learning, not filling in staffing gaps. Give us opportunities, not obligations.”

“Our placement hours need to be paid as we do the work of Healthcare Assistants and Nurses while also having to focus on our university. We spend so much time and work hard to help people and families, and it is physically and mentally draining – so please pay us!”