Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA has welcomed confirmation funding has been secured for 300 additional nursing and midwifery undergraduate places in Northern Ireland for the coming year.

Health Minister Robin Swann said the training places would be allocated among local universities and apportioned among the adult, children’s, mental health, learning disability and midwifery fields of practice.

“It is essential the commitments in the New Decade, New Approach agreement are met over the next three years as part of an urgent prioritisation of workforce planning. It is good to see all the major universities operating in Northern Ireland involved,” said South Belfast MLA Ms Bradshaw.

“It is also promising a graduate entry programme is now in prospect.

“The challenge now will be to ensure the funding is there for the rest of the Assembly term, and workforce planning is carried through in a manner integral to the overall transformation process, whose importance is only reinforced by the current situation.”