LONDON, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Almost 49,000 people in England have applied to join nursing courses, a rise of more than a third compared to a year ago, the British Department of Health and Social Care said on Thursday.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), the centralized service that students use to apply to university in Britain, has received 48,830 applications for nursing courses in England, up from 35,960 at the same point last year.

The figures for England also showed an increase in applications of more than 50 percent among 25 to 34 year olds and 43 percent among 35-and-overs. There was also a 41 percent rise in male applicants.

Latest Britain-wide figures showed total applications for nursing courses have risen by 32 percent to reach 60,130.

Minister for Care Helen Whately at the Department of Health and Social Care said more mature applicants would help to contribute to a diverse and representative nursing workforce.

The National Health Service (NHS) has been under great pressure for a shortage of nurses, among others, in recently years, especially during the current pandemic. Around 10 percent of positions for registered nurses in the NHS were reportedly vacant when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit.

England is currently under the third national lockdown since outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. Enditem

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