LEADERS at Oxford Brookes University have welcomed plans to axe bursaries of up to £20,000 for student nurses and midwives and replace them with loans.

Chancellor George Osborne said on Wednesday that cash saved would be invested in creating a further 10,000 training places in the next four years to stop the health service becoming dependent on foreign staff.

Deans at Oxford Brookes, which has nearly 900 student nurses, welcomed the changes, but warned the ‘devil was in the detail’.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof June Girvin, who is dean of the faculty of health and life sciences, said early figures showed the change from grants to loans would increase the amount of support available to students.

But she added: “However, there may be consequences that we would be keen to mitigate as detail is worked through – for example, the impact upon widening participation, mature students, and those with previous degree qualifications seeking a career change.

“Such fundamental change will need stable transition arrangements and close partnership working with the NHS to ensure that placement arrangements continue to be well supported.”

Unions said the switch from bursaries, used for housing and living costs, was a blow to midwifery, which faces a “retirement time bomb”.

The Royal College of Midwives (RMC) warned the changes would deter new nurses and midwives from taking up the career.

It said that there is currently a shortage of 2,600 midwives in England.

The RCM’s Jon Skewes said axeing grants would make midwifery an “unattainable and less attractive” profession.

He added: “The announcement is extremely worrying. The cuts are likely to deter many potential students from entering the profession, which is not good news for midwifery in the UK.”