The number of students accepted on to nursing courses in has declined by more than 13% compared with the year before, the second successive steep fall, figures that Labour said were “incredibly concerning” for the future of the NHS. As of 23 August, 15,420 students had received places on nursing courses in England, 13.1% fewer than the 17,750 who gained a place in 2022, analysis of Ucas data by the House of Commons Library showed. The 2022 total was itself 9.1% lower than the 19,520 in 2021. While Labour said the decreases represented a significant problem for future nursing numbers amid a wider problem of recruitment and retention, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the falls were in the context of a particularly high volume of applications during the Covid pandemic, when numbers rose almost 20% in 2020 and just over 11% in 2021. The NHS workforce plan for England, which was released in June, set out proposals to recruit 170,000 more nurses by 2036-37, including increasing the number of nursing degree students by more than a third within five years, with a 40% rise in nursing associate training places over the same period. Vacancies for NHS nurses have increased by 10% in a year to more than 43,000, statistics published this month have shown, at a time when the profession faces crises over workplace pressures and pay that have prompted a series of strikes. Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said: “There is no NHS without its incredible nurses, who go above and beyond to care for us all. These figures are incredibly concerning for the future of the health service. “Conservative ministers forced NHS nurses out on a national strike for the first time in history, and then accused them of doing Vladimir Putin’s bidding. The blame for the drop in applications lies squarely with the government.” Dr Nichola Ashby, deputy director of nursing at the Royal College of Nursing, said: “Being a nurse is one of the greatest careers that any prospective student can choose. It is depressing to see in these latest Ucas figures that fewer people want to become a nurse – I believe they are being put off by the prospect of astronomical student debt, low salaries and poor working conditions.” The DHSC said applications remained higher than the pre-Covid total of about 14,600 in 2019, and that many more future nursing posts would be filled by non-degree nursing associate roles. A department spokesperson said: “The latest applicant numbers are still 12% higher than in 2019, following a surge of applications during the pandemic, with eligible students receiving a training grant of at least £5,000 a year. “There will be more students coming through clearing eager to start careers in nursing, as well as those coming through apprenticeship routes. “We’ve made significant progress in growing the workforce, with record numbers of nurses and doctors working in the NHS. The first ever NHS long-term workforce plan, backed by over £2.4bn in government funding, will further boost education and training, as well as expanding apprenticeships and alternative routes into professional roles.”