To ask the Minister of Health to detail the qualifying courses of students on unpaid clinical placement, assisting during the COVID-19 pandemic between 1 October 2020 and 31 March 2021, who are proposed to receive a one-off recognition payment of £2,000; and why all medical students on clinical placement during the same period are not receiving the payment.

I have repeatedly emphasised my appreciation of the contribution made by all employees and students across Health and Social Care during the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 25 January, I announced the payment of a flat rate, one-off special recognition of £2,000 to qualifying students on certain pre-registration healthcare programmes over the period 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021.

The qualifying courses are the Nursing and Midwifery, Allied Health Profession, Social Work and Physician Associate pre-registration programmes commissioned by my Department from Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University.

I am aware that many medical students have directly contributed to addressing the challenges presented by COVID-19 by taking up paid medical student technician and other healthcare assistant roles created by the HSC Trusts during this emergency. Individuals employed in these roles for a minimum of one month during the period 17 March 2020 to 31 January 2021 will be entitled to access the HSC £500 Staff Bonus Scheme on a proportionate basis.

Medical Education leadership across the entire NHS has been united that the priority for medical students during the most recent phases of the COVID-19 pandemic should be to support them to progress with their learning. My Department is making significant investment to ensure that this happens despite the constraints resulting from COVID-19 protocols. We have augmented our annual expenditure of £27.2m on facilitating clinical placements for medical students. An additional £4.0m is being spent over the 2020/21 academic year to ensure that the necessary significant additional supervision can be provided when medical students are in clinical environments.