UEA medical students call on government to give them equal support to other healthcare degrees
The #LiveableNHSBursary campaign has three main demands
Last updated 12th May 2022
Medical students at the UEA are calling on the Government to give them better financial support during their degrees, in line with other training healthcare professionals.
With increasing numbers of final years being forced to turn to foodbanks for the bare essentials as the cost of living rises- according to the Doctors' Association UK.
Emily Geeson is a student here and leads with the Liveable-NHS-bursary campaign in the East.
She told us how not having a maintenance loan which covers the entirety of her course, will affect her:
"I am not worth ÂŁ10k less than my sister"
"I enter my fifth year of University in September and that will drop to approximately ÂŁ5,000 which is a 50% funding drop and I'll have to make up the difference. So, that's working multiple jobs alongside a full-time medical degree, in the most intense and time-consuming year of my life".
"My sister is training to be a paramedic. She will get the full ÂŁ10,000 that she's entitled to off Student Finance England, plus the ÂŁ5,000 learning support bursary, I am not worth ÂŁ10k less than my sister having received the 50% funding drop".
"It's in this country's interest to fully fund the medical degree"
Ms Geeson went to say that funding the entirety of their degree, helps everyone:
"I will be taking the maximum amount, I'm already ÂŁ85,000 in debt and that will get loads of interest and then I'll be entering a profession which will be over the minimum threshold to pay back- so you'll be getting the money back after me for thirty years. It's in this country's interest to fully fund the medical degree- not just to get more doctors but also due to the financial element to".
She told us she not surprised many young people are going into other professions:
"I only found out about the change from Student Finance England to the current system in the start of my 4th year or 3rd year. If I'd have known that when I was applying to do this degree, I don't think I'd have had the guts to go through with it. Especially, in my position 4% of people from a working-class background, you're not going to tackle that gamble if you're not fully funded for all the years".
What are the #LiveableNHSBursary campaigning for?:
1.Immediate access to full maintenance loans for medical students in line with other healthcare professional courses for the duration of the degree programme.
2.Access to the NHS Learning Support Fund which is accessed by other healthcare professional students, replacing the standard medical student NHS bursary. This would enable all medical students to access ÂŁ5000 non-means tested grant.
3.A review of the Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses, so that fuel and accommodation reimbursements are reflective of the ongoing cost of living crisis.