You may continue to receive your bursary during a period (or periods) of authorised absence of up to 60 days in an academic year if your absence is due to a medically certified illness or injury.
For any sickness absence to be considered, you must have provided a fit note (or notes) to your university written by your GP or other healthcare professional.
If your illness or injury requires more than 60 days leave in an academic year, you must inform your university and us as soon as possible after it is known that more than 60 days leave will be required.
Your bursary will be suspended from the 61st day of absence until you return to your course.
If during or after the 60-day period you inform your university and us that you'll not be returning to the course then we will withdraw the NHS Bursary award from that point.
If you are absent due to a pregnancy related illness before the expected week of childbirth or before the agreed date that you are due to take maternity absence, and it is within 4 weeks of this date, this should be regarded as the start of the maternity absence. The bursary will therefore continue to be paid, from this date. Absence prior to the last four weeks should be treated as sickness absence. The usual absence rules would apply in this case.