A NORTH MP is calling on the Government to rethink plans to scrap NHS bursaries and replace them with loans fearing it will hit a training clinic in her constituency.

From 2017 the Government intends to stop NHS bursaries and instead give trainee health professionals access to the student loans system.

Helen Goodman, Labour MP for Bishop Auckland, believes the proposed cuts will badly affect health services.

She has echoed experts’ warnings that it will lead to a fall in staff numbers as people will not want to take on debt or be able to afford to retrain and that on-the-job training is vital to health services.

Ms Goodman is particularly concerned about the impact it could have on New College Durham’s Durham School of Podiatric Medicine which has a placement clinic in her constituency.

She said: “Cuts to NHS bursaries will have a dreadful impact on Bishop Auckland.

“The Durham School of Podiatric Medicine have a training clinic in the constituency.

“There are 84 students currently on their undergraduate training programme, and they take in around 30 new students a year.

“These numbers will fall if students can’t afford to enrol.

“Surely it is better to train people in the UK rather than continually going abroad to poach other countries’ staff?

“Not only do we want to keep training and education in the area, the ageing population means we are in desperate need of podiatrists.”

She has written to health secretary Jeremy Hunt urging him to reconsider the ‘disastrous decision’ and signed an early day motion to have the issue brought back before parliament.

City of Durham MP Robert Blackman-Woods, Newcastle’s Catherine McKinnell and Jarrow MP Stephen Hepburn are among 104 MPs to have signed the motion.

The Government says the move, which was announced in the November spending review, will save £800 million a year.

It argues it will allow more health workers such as nurses and midwives to be trained as the NHS can only spend a finite amount on bursaries so currently limits places and that they will get more financial support.

An online petition against the proposed cuts has been signed by more than 159,000 people.

Durham School of Podiatric Medicine will host a 40th anniversary tea party and advisory session at its clinic on Watling Road, Bishop Auckland, on Wednesday, March 16, 1pm to 4pm.