London-Labour MP Preet Kaur Gill has hailed the government’s new Nursing and Midwifery Graduate Guarantee as a major step forward in tackling staffing shortages and improving patient care across England. Under the scheme, every newly qualified nurse and midwife will be guaranteed targeted support to secure employment, ending what Gill described as “the unacceptable waste of skills” where thousands of trained healthcare professionals were left without jobs despite urgent needs within the NHS.
The initiative, designed in collaboration with the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives, aims to address the unprecedented workforce challenge caused by record numbers entering the profession during the pandemic and a slower rate of experienced staff leaving. In some areas, there are now up to three times as many graduates as vacancies. NHS trusts will be supported to hire based on projected need rather than waiting for vacancies to arise, with £8 million allocated to convert vacant maternity support worker posts into Band 5 midwifery roles, opening doors for newly qualified midwives.
Gill emphasised that the programme is not only about job creation but also about setting up graduates for success. An online hub will offer application guidance and career advice, ensuring that new recruits have the resources to transition smoothly into practice. “This is about building a confident, supported workforce that can deliver better care and shorter waiting times,” Gill said, adding that the Graduate Guarantee forms a key part of the government’s broader Plan for Change to create an NHS fit for the future.