Upfront help cuts placement costs for healthcare students

Tuesday 01 Sep 2026 @ 12:12
NHS England

Also published by:: Department of Health and Social Care

From 2026/27, eligible healthcare students can get travel and accommodation costs upfront, easing financial pressure and supporting rural placements.

Upfront cash help for nursing, midwifery, allied health and dental therapy / hygiene students’ placement costs, meeting commitment set out in the 10 Year Health Plan
Students spared from paying excess placement travel and accommodation bills out of their own pockets as government works to help with cost of living
Boost for rural and coastal placements where costs can be highest

Thousands of future nurses, midwives, allied health and dental professionals will receive upfront support with travel and accommodation costs for clinical placements under new plans to reduce the financial barriers to training.

From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, eligible students with full access to the NHS Learning Support Fund will be able to receive advance payments for placement-related travel and accommodation costs.

The change will mean students no longer have to cover expenses themselves before claiming the money back. Under the current system, students must book and pay for travel and accommodation upfront often amounting to hundreds of pounds, then submit claims before being reimbursed. The new system will give students greater control over their finances while they complete their training.

While a new digital claims system introduced in January 2025 has already reduced processing times, students could still be left out of pocket while waiting for their claim to be processed. Advance payments will help ease those pressures by ensuring support is available.

It marks another step in the government’s work to ease cost-of-living pressures, putting money in students’ pockets sooner and helping them focus on training rather than bills.

The move will also make it easier for students to undertake placements in rural and coastal communities, where travel costs can be particularly high.

Health Minister, Alison McGovern said:

No student training to care for patients should be held back because they cannot afford the upfront cost of getting to a placement.

These advance payments will put money in students’ pockets before costs hit, easing pressure on budgets and helping NHS staff get the experience they need, whether that is in a city hospital or a remote coastal community.

This is another step in delivering our 10 Year Health Plan, backing students, breaking down barriers to training, and building the NHS workforce patients need for the future.

Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said:

This is an important step in supporting the next generation of nurses, midwives and allied health professionals, and will be welcome news for the thousands of students working hard to develop the knowledge, skills and experience needed to care for patients.

We know travel and accommodation costs can put real pressure on students. By providing advance payments, we are removing a significant barrier to learning, helping students focus on their education and making it easier for them to access valuable placement opportunities.

The new advance payment facility, delivered with the NHS Business Services Authority, will give students an upfront “float” to help cover costs before they arise.

Students will continue to submit claims as normal, with approved claims automatically deducted from their advance payment balance. If the balance falls below £50, they will be able to request a top-up. Any outstanding float balance will be deducted from a student’s final training grant instalment.

By reducing the need to find money upfront, the government is helping students get the experience they need, wherever they are, supporting the future NHS workforce.

Louisa Denye, Head of NHS Student Services, said:

Giving eligible students the option to be paid for their travel and accommodation costs in advance builds on the improvements we’ve already made since introducing our digitised reimbursement journey last year, and is part of the NHSBSA’s ongoing commitment to modernise the way we support healthcare students financially throughout their studies.

Caitlin Greenlagh, a third year diagnostic radiography student at the University of Cumbria, said:

Travel and accommodation for placements can cost hundreds of pounds. It is a lot to find upfront when you’re already managing everyday living costs as a student.

Receiving this support in advance will take away a real financial worry and mean I can focus more on my learning and caring for patients. It will also make placements further from home, including in rural or coastal areas, feel much more accessible.

By supporting the future of our NHS, we are ensuring that staff have got the best exposure to learning and experience to prepare them for their roles.

Later this year, we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan, which will further set out how we will ensure the NHS has the right people with the right skills to care for patients when they need it.

Gill Walton, the Royal College of Midwives’ Chief Executive, said:

Student midwives work incredibly hard to qualify for one of the most rewarding yet demanding jobs in the NHS. They shouldn’t be left out of pocket for it too. We’re delighted that the Government has listened to the RCM and our hard-working student midwives and acted on this. 

This is something we’ve been calling for since our 2024 State of UK Midwifery Student Finance report. No student should be paying to travel to their placements, especially in rural and remote areas where costs are highest.

Our research found student midwives have concerns over graduate debt and financial hardship during training. This is a genuinely welcome step, but it must go hand in hand with guaranteeing these newly qualified midwives a job at the end of their course.

Susan Price, Chair, British Dietetic Association, said:

No student should have to choose between completing a placement and managing their finances. The BDA warmly welcomes these improvements to the Learning Support Fund, which will provide much needed support to dietetic students and reduce cash-flow pressures during placements.

The changes will be especially beneficial for students from less advantaged backgrounds, and those travelling longer distances to more rural and remote placements. By making placements more accessible, this development strengthens the pipeline of future dietitians and support continued growth of the profession.

Channel website: https://www.england.nhs.uk/

Original article link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/upfront-help-cuts-placement-costs-for-healthcare-students

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Nearly 4 million women will be offered HPV self-testing kits if they have not attended cervical screening appointments following invitations from the NHS in England.

The NHS is starting to roll out the new self-testing kits from today to encourage more women to complete their potentially lifesaving screening to detect human papillomavirus (HPV), which can increase the risk of cervical cancer.

England’s leading women’s health doctor described the move as a “gamechanger” given that around a third of those eligible aren’t up to date with their cervical screening, and this test provides a more “discreet and convenient option” for them.

The self-testing kit contains a swab, similar to a long cotton bud, which is used to collect a sample from the vagina. The sample is then posted back to the NHS for free, where it is checked for high-risk HPV.

If high-risk HPV is found, individuals will be invited to book a follow-up cervical screening appointment at their GP surgery or sexual health clinic, where a nurse or doctor will take a small sample from the cervix to check for cell changes.

Cervical screening helps prevent cervical cancer by checking for high-risk types of HPV. It is a common virus that can cause changes to cells in the cervix. These changes can usually be treated before cancer develops.

Women who are eligible will start receiving invitations today via the NHS App, text message, email or letter, and once invited they will be able to order a free kit through the NHS App or their NHS online account.

This is the next major step the NHS is taking in its pledge to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, by making it as easy as possible for people to get the lifesaving HPV vaccination and increasing cervical screening attendance.

Dr Sue Mann, National Clinical Director for Women’s Health at NHS England, said: “Screening saves thousands of lives each year by preventing cancers and catching them earlier, but only around two-thirds of women are attending cervical screening appointments when invited by the NHS.

“Offering millions of women an alternative test they can do from the comfort of their own homes will be a gamechanger – making it easier than ever for them to get tested for HPV.

“There are lots of reasons that may stop women from getting their cervical screening – embarrassment, lack of time, or worries about discomfort – and these kits provide a discreet and convenient option we hope will encourage more women to take up the life-saving test.

“So, if you’re invited to take part, please order a test – it’s a simple swab you can do at home in minutes.”

Cervical screening appointments with a clinician remain the best way to help prevent cervical cancer, but HPV self-testing is being introduced by the NHS as an additional choice for people who have not taken up previous invitations.

HPV self-testing is an invitation-only offer and is being rolled out in phases across England as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, starting with those aged between 30 and 65, who have not attended cervical screening following previous invitations.

The national rollout comes on the back of the YouScreen trial run by North London cancer alliances in collaboration with NHS England and King’s College London in 2021, which found offering self-testing kits to under-screened women at their GP practice or at home could boost the numbers screened in England by about 400,000 each year.

The UK National Screening Committee used evidence from this trial in its recommendation to roll this out wider.

The latest figures show that 68.8% of eligible women were up to date with their cervical screening – below the NHS England target of 80%. This means around 4 million women in England are not up to date with their routine check-up.

Women aged 24-64 are invited for cervical screening by the NHS every five years, or more frequently if HPV is detected.

Anyone who has been invited for cervical screening can still book an appointment at any time, even if the invitation was sent months or years ago.

It is still important to attend cervical screening appointments if you have been vaccinated against HPV as the vaccine does not provide protection from all types of HPV, so there is a still a small chance of getting cervical cancer.

People who routinely attend for a cervical screening test with a clinician at their GP practice or sexual health clinic should continue to book their appointments as normal.

Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Cervical cancer is preventable – but that’s why we want to make it as easy and convenient as possible for women to keep up with their screening.

“These free self-testing kits will be offered to four million women who are currently behind on their screening to make it easier for as many women as possible to keep themselves healthy and safe.

“This is the future NHS we are building – there for all of us when we need it, and acting as early as possible to stop preventable deaths.”

Cancer Research UK’s Chief Executive, Michelle Mitchell, said: “Cervical screening is a powerful tool that saves lives – it can prevent cervical cancer or spot it at an earlier stage when treatment is more likely to be successful.

“While it’s best for cervical screening to be done by a nurse or doctor, there are barriers that make it challenging for some people to attend. At-home HPV self-testing kits will help more people take part in a way that works for them.

“If people receive their cervical screening or self-testing kit invitation, please consider taking up the offer and encourage loved ones to do the same. Beating cervical cancer means beating it for everyone, and this move brings us closer to that goal.”

Athena Lamnisos, Chief Executive Officer at The Eve Appeal, said: “There are many reasons why those eligible for cervical screening don’t attend.

“Challenges around the type of test it is, limited awareness around HPV and its role in cancer development, as well as practical barriers such as problems around booking and attending an appointment, stop many from going.

“Cervical screening is designed to prevent cervical cancer rather than respond to symptoms, attending a clinic requires people to actively prioritise an appointment among the many competing demands of everyday life.

“Self-testing which can be done at home will be a step-change for many. We have the incredible opportunity to see the back of cervical cancer. How brilliant would that be? But to achieve this, we need to support everyone eligible to attend screening.

“At Eve we welcome the rollout of this programme and its focus on the audiences who need it most in the first stage of the screening pathway. Looking to the future, we hope that self-testing will provide the under-screened and never screened with a new option to help address some of the key barriers.

“This is not a replacement for clinician screening, and we will continue to work with and support those attending their traditional cervical screening, to help make their appointments more comfortable and accessible.

“The NHS has set a 2040 target for eliminating cervical cancer. We hope that rolling out self-testing will help us reach it.”

Dawn Bryant, 62, from Hertfordshire, had cancerous cells found early thanks to NHS cervical screening and feels extremely lucky that it was detected and treated before the cancer progressed any further.

She says cervical screening may have saved her life and is encouraging other women who haven’t had theirs yet or have put it off, to book an appointment or do the at-home HPV test if invited.

“My nan died of cervical cancer when I was only 11 so I know how difficult it can be and how important cervical screening is.

“A screening test when I was 32 found I had severe high-grade cell changes, and after further testing I was told it was cancer.

“I am so lucky it was found at an early stage and could be easily treated. I had some surgery to remove the cells, but I didn’t have to have chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or anything. It was a very scary time, but who knows what would have happened if I’d delayed having the test.

“Since then, I have been regularly monitored, and had many tests and colposcopies, and although they can be a bit uncomfortable, I would not think twice about having them done again.

“I know lots of women who have put off having screening, and sadly, some who have been diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer after putting it off for years.

“It is so important women go for these check-ups or do the home-testing kit if invited. It doesn’t take very long and if you’re worried or have questions, the staff are excellent and will talk to you and help answer any fears you’ve got.”

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