Stormont must provide support for our student health heroes
Ryan Harling
It’s the year 2021 and student health heroes, the social workers, the nurses, the doctors, the allied health professionals, are all still waiting on the financial support necessary to support themselves. Why? Because apparently if a course is oversubscribed, no matter the hardship a student who successfully made the course is in, then that means the current amount of finance is enough.
At least, according to the Health Minister:
Can you imagine if the same logic was applied to politician’s wages?
“Currently, there are 90 MLA seats in Stormont. However, every election, far more than that run for each seat, so we’re reducing the salary because obviously, it’s more than enough to attract enough representatives.” - Sobin Rwann, Health Minister of a Northern Ireland in a parallel universe.
It beggars belief.
Over 31% of Diagnostic Radiographers at Ulster University in 2019-20 were in receipt of the student hardship fund – which one is only eligible for if living in near poverty.
The nursing bursary hasn’t changed since 2012 despite a 9% increase in living costs, and even then it was actually slashed downwards by £750 per year.
Social work students from the Republic don’t receive a bursary despite being on placement for 185 days over two years.
Medical students in 2019-20, accounted for 14% of all Queen’s students who received the Hardship Fund.
It’s hard not to get frustrated typing this out, and I’m not even one of the students affected. But after months of helping to lead the Support Student Health Heroes campaign, gaining over 650 signatures, pledges of support from 13 MLAs across five parties, and ministerial questions asked, it’s through time not being able to truly express this disappointment and amplifying that of the students.
This is why on Monday the 8th of November, student unions’ from across the north rallied at the steps of Stormont to express our dissatisfaction with the responses from the health and economy minister.
The economy minister apparently does not even realise, or perhaps purposely does not acknowledge, that allied health professional student finance falls under the department of economy, not the department of health, despite writing to him to inform him of just that during the week of action in August.
Whilst these two key decision-makers did not bother to meet with us at the protest while presumably a stone’s throw away, nor express apologies for not being able to attend – we were able to engage with MLAs from a range of parties, as well as the deputy first minister who shared her support for our asks and demands.
It was also of course a very energising experience, as all protests are, coming together with students, fellow sabbatical officers, and trade unions, to join forces and ensure our voice is heard loud and clear. And to remind our elected representatives that this is an issue we will not forget, and we will not stop pushing until our health heroes get the support they need and deserve.
Ryan Harling is Vice President of the Ulster University Students’ Union Magee Campus