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<p>The National Health Service employs more staff now than at any other time in its
70 year history. There are currently 16,100 more nurses on wards in England than in
2010, with a further 52,000 undergraduates in training.</p><p> </p><p>The latest University
and College Admissions Service data shows that applications for full-time undergraduate
nursing and midwifery courses has increased by 4.5% on last year. We also announced
additional clinical placement funding to support 5,000 more training places each year
from September 2018.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has put in place a range of measures
to increase nursing workforce supply, including a new route in to nursing through
a Nurse Degree and Nursing Associate apprenticeships.</p><p> </p><p>National programmes
led by NHS Improvement, NHS Employers and Health Education England are focused on
improving staff retention, increasing the number of nurses returning to practice,
increasing overseas recruitment and improving sickness absence.</p><p> </p><p>Around
1 million NHS workers will benefit from the new Agenda for Change pay and contract
reform deal. The deal includes important changes to pay and non-pay benefits to help
support recruitment and retention and boost productivity in return for additional
pay investment.</p>
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