LABOUR’S Heidi Alexander urged NHS students to give Tory MPs a “hard time” yesterday over their latest NHS wheeze to cancel trainee bursaries.

The shadow health secretary made the rallying cry as she addressed student nurses who had travelled to Parliament to meet their local MP about plans to replace bursaries with student loans of up to £4,000-a-year.

Speaking to students ahead of the lobby, Unison head of health Christina McAnea made a “special plea” for students meeting Tory MPs to get the message across to them that it will “damage the NHS.”

A report for Unison released yesterday found that 2,000 fewer people are going into healthcare degrees annually, adding to the NHS staffing crisis and increasing its dependency on expensive agencies.

Ms Alexander added: “I was listening to what Christina was saying and her advice about any of you going to see a Tory MP.

“Well I’ve got a bit of advice for you as well: Give them a hard time.

“My fear about these proposals is you end up with the people who are best placed to pay as opposed to the people who are best able to care.”

Students spoke to 80 MPs from all parties, although the Star was told that some Tories refused to meet their constituents over the issue.

Setting out the case against the cut, National Union of Students president Megan Dunn said: “Bursaries are a crucial support to those who would otherwise be shut out of nursing courses.

“What will they replace them with?

“More fees, more debt, more barriers to essential training and education.

“There’s a high risk that such high debt would simply lead to plummeting numbers of nurses. That’s a risk that our health service takes.”