Cuts may leave NHS short of 70,000 nurses, leaked report warns

Abolition of bursaries for nursing students led to severe fall in number training for the profession

The NHS could be short of almost 70,000 nurses within five years, according to a leaked copy of the government’s long-awaited plan to tackle the staffing crisis.

Blaming the government’s decision to abolish bursaries for nursing students, a draft of the NHS people plan says: “Our analysis shows a 40,000 (11%) shortfall [in the number of nurses needed in England] in 2018-19 which widens to 68,500 (16%) by 2023-24 without intervention, as demand for nurses grows faster than supply.”

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from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2W5bA2S