Plans have been put forward to close Cardiff University’s nursing school amid rising financial pressures – a move the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says puts the future of nursing in the area at serious risk.
The university has this week launched a consultation proposing the closure of several subjects, including nursing, as well as a reduction of 400 staff across the organisation.
It said this follows a decline in international student applications and increasing cost pressures faced by ‘many universities’.
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A Cardiff University spokesperson told Nursing in Practice that final decisions were still being made and there was still ‘a great deal of detail to work through’.
The consultation is open for 90 days, and the spokesperson confirmed there would be no ‘immediate impact’ on nursing students completing their studies in the short-term, including for students starting Cardiff nursing degree programmes this year.
‘We are acutely aware of our role in delivering the next generation of healthcare professionals for Wales and beyond and are actively consulting with all stakeholders on our proposals,’ the spokesperson added.
And they confirmed that the university would ‘continue to offer midwifery’.
The proposed closure comes at a time when Wales is facing a major nursing shortage, with thousands of unfilled vacancies and growing nursing workload pressures.
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Helen Whyley, executive director of RCN Wales, warned that the proposed closure ‘will have a significant impact on the future of nursing in Wales’ and will be ‘a huge disappointment’ for nurses, local communities and the country as a whole.
Ms Whyley said Cardiff’s school of nursing has a ‘long-standing reputation’ for producing ‘highly skilled’ nurses who work across communities in Wales.
‘This decision has the potential to threaten the pipeline of registered nurses into the largest health board in Wales and undermines efforts to address the critical staffing crisis in the NHS and social care,’ she warned.
‘In addition, there is a significant impact on nurse lectures and academics, both in terms of potential redundancies but also the infrastructure needed to education significant numbers of students.’
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Ms Whyley confirmed RCN Wales would be responding to the consultation which opened this week.
