Care minister Helen Whately has come under fire for saying "student nurses are not deemed to be providing a service", in a letter regarding their financial support.

However, the Faversham and Mid Kent MP has defended herself, stating supernumeracy status for students in the sector is "a technical definition created to ensure they have the space and time to learn."

The letter was in response to Corby MP, Tom Purgslove who was speaking on behalf of a constituent about a lack of financial help for those studying the profession.

It comes as almost 30,000 students deployed to UK hospitals from April during the Covid-19 crisis have been told most contracts will end by Friday, July 31 - according to the Nursing Times - despite originally understanding they would be kept on for six months.

A petition has since been set up with an aim to get the funding reinstated up to the end of October, and has received more than 119,000 signatures.

In her correspondence with Mr Purgslove, Ms Whately says she values "the huge contribution staff make to the NHS" and knows they "work incredibly hard".

She goes on to say how "student nurses are supernumeracy and are not deemed to be providing a service" and are instead required to undertake 2,300 hours of clinical practice before employment.

Ms Whately adds that during the pandemic, the government employed some second and third year students but on a temporary basis, and that they have continued to receive financial support through the Learning Support Fund and Student Loans Company.

She says she is "extremely grateful" to those who opted to help.

But some have branded Ms Whately's comments about the students "not providing a service" as "an insult" to those who stepped up to fight Covid-19.

A tweet published by @NursingNotes has received more than 6,600 likes and another by @NHSMillion has been retweeted in excess of 6,800 times.

Piers Morgan has branded it "a horrible kick in the teeth for all student nurses", recieving more than 22,000 likes for his tweet.

The Good Morning Britain presenter and journalist has twice been involved in heated debates with Ms Whately on the show in recent months, accusing her of laughing while discussing care home deaths.

Presenter and comedian, Sue Perkins has also voiced her disapproval of the Kent MP's wording, saying "this is how the government views their invaluable contribution...".

Her tweet has received more than 15,000 likes.

Following the criticism, Ms Whately said: "The whole country is grateful to student nurses for their heroic work during this unprecedented pandemic.

"Supernumeracy status for student nurses is a technical definition created to ensure they have the space and time to learn, and it is widely supported across the profession.

"There is a strong financial aid package for nurses and we are introducing even further support for nursing, midwifery and many allied health profession students."

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