Three top London universities agree partnership to help spearhead a new consortium launching today, to provide 13 healthcare degree apprenticeship programmes and help address the major staffing crisis and skills gap within the healthcare sector.

Across the capital, the Healthcare Education Consortium comprises Middlesex University, Kingston University and the University of Greenwich. Each will work collaboratively to design, develop and deliver high-quality healthcare degree apprenticeship programmes, to better meet the needs of local NHS and private healthcare employers.

The consortium’s primary aims are to increase apprenticeship starts across London, improve efficiencies across the sector, promote social inclusion, enhance professional standards and promote best practice in healthcare education for the public’s benefit.

In addition to bringing new skilled talent to the sector, the three London universities will work collaboratively to help support the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and address chronic staff shortages. In the third quarter of 2024/25 there were over 106,000 vacancies* in the NHS workforce, with 27,000 positions alone needed in nursing.

The Healthcare Education Consortium will also see Middlesex University, Kingston University and the University of Greenwich partner with the University of Hertfordshire, Oxford Brookes University and Birmingham City University.

The universities will collectively offer degree apprenticeships across 13 different programmes, ranging from registered nursing and paramedic through to occupational therapist and speech and language therapist.

NHS and private healthcare employers throughout London can help fund apprentices through the consortium via the government Apprenticeship Levy, with the NHS one of the biggest levy-paying organisations in the UK – contributing an estimated £200m annually.

Professor Darryll Bravenboer, project sponsor for the Healthcare Education Consortium, said: “This new consortium brings together the collective power and technical healthcare expertise across six of the UK’s top universities, to better meet the needs of healthcare employers. It will also play a pivotal role in addressing some key issues in the sector, whether that’s helping attract new talent and reducing the skills gap, through to driving innovation and tackling the current staffing crisis.

“With the support of three leading London universities, we’re confident this consortium will be widely welcomed by NHS trusts and private healthcare organisations across the capital and wider South East region, with degree apprenticeships proven to promote social inclusion, employee retention, skills and productivity.”

All three London consortium universities have extensive experience of delivering healthcare education programmes across all professional levels and have a track record of working in partnership with a wide range of healthcare employers. This work is underpinned by sector leading, evidence-based research.

Employers interested in the new healthcare degree apprenticeship programmes starting in September and January, can register their interest here – www.healthcare-education.org.