Hundreds of student nurses and midwives from City, University of London are supporting the NHS on clinical placement, helping to deliver much needed services as part of the national effort in the fight against COVID-19.

By Mr Shamim Quadir (Senior Communications Officer), Published (Updated )

With the National Health Service facing an unprecedented challenge in the face of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, students on nursing and midwifery courses from across the UK have been given the option to spend all or part of their study time in clinical placement, supporting the NHS.

Hundreds of students from City, University of London in their final or second year of study have answered the call, and elected to undertake extended clinical placements within the NHS.

Professor Debra Salmon, Dean of the School of Health Sciences at City, reflected on students’ contributions, saying:

"I am immensely proud of the many students who will be using their skills, training and experience to help tackle this coronavirus pandemic. As a School we are working closely with clinical colleagues to ensure our students have continued access to a wide range of Trust and University wellbeing and support services throughout this period. Our students have shown great dedication to their chosen professions and supporting our NHS at the time when this is needed most."

The arrangements, agreed by the Chief Nursing Officers for the four UK nations, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Council of Deans of Health, the Royal Colleges and trade unions and the UK Department of Health and Social Care, outline how pre-registration nursing and midwifery students in the last six months of the final (third) year of their study have the option of undertaking a clinical placement, full-time within the NHS.

Postgraduate students not in their final six months of study, and second year undergraduate students, have the option of contributing 80% of their study time to work on a clinical placement.

The arrangements offer provision for the relevant training and supervision the students who choose to go on placement will need, and address the need for all students to receive the support required to arrive at the best decision for them, given their individual circumstances. At City, students are offered one-to-one calls with staff to help achieve this.

Further information

Read the ‘Information for students and educators’ at the Nursing and Midwifery Council website.

Related schools, departments and centres