An academic has claimed that student nurse recruitment will be cut

A senior academic has claimed she received a letter from the Welsh assembly telling her to reduce her intake of student nurses by 20% from September.

Professor Donna Mead, head of the School of Care Sciences at the University of Glamorgan, said that she received the letter in January, instructing her to recruit only 80% of her usual intake.

But Ms Hutt told BBC Wales that no cuts have been planned.

She added: "The most important thing about nurse training is that we've nearly doubled our investment in the last five years.

It is not my letter, I have not made a decision Jane Hutt

"We are now spending �70m on nurse training compared to �40m when I became minister

"Last year we commissioned 1,137 nurse training places - that's an all-time high.

"This week, the final discussions with the heads of departments which will include the Royal College of Nurses, all he trade unions and everyone else (will take place) tomorrow.

"Then I will get the recommendations and next week I will be able to make the announcement."

When asked whether a cut in nursing places had already been decided, Ms Hutt said: "Certainly not. I understand that every year, all heads of department will get a reassurance, a guarantee, about their numbers so they can plan for next year.

"It is not my letter, I have not made a decision."

'Financial problems'

But Professor Mead told BBC Wales that the letter she had received had asked her to make cuts.

"In the letter, we were told that we could recruit up to 80% of last year's numbers," she said.

"There were two reasons: Firstly, that there were financial problems of affordability.

"Secondly, because the Welsh Assembly Government wants to take opportunities to develop new roles. Of course, that's an admirable thing to want to do.

"The problem for us in the universities is that we are coming to the end of the recruitment cycle which means we have hundreds of people who have applied to become nurses.

'In limbo'

"If we don't tell them by the end of the month whether they've got a place or not then they just get rejected automatically.

"We are in limbo - we have no idea what our numbers should be.

"I understand that the budget is not to be cut - the issue is cutting the number of student nurse places.

"It seems to be very curious that when we have a large vacancy factor, an expanding health service and a significant proportion of nurses coming up to retirement , there should be a reduction."

There are currently around 700 vacant nursing posts across Wales.

Unions fear that any cuts in training places, would lead to increased vacancies and have a direct impact on patient care.