Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Nurse numbers collapse as Hunt struggles with crisis
THE number of nurses has fallen this year for the first time in four years.
Data reveals the disastrous impact of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s attempts to tackle the NHS staffing crisis. It is estimated there are currently at least 40,000 vacancies.
Analysis by the King’s Fund charity shows there were fewer nurses in April this year than last, the first such fall since 2013. It continued in May and June.
Janet Davies, of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “A cocktail of extreme pressure inside the NHS, a collapse in European nurses and falling pay levels have people heading for the door.” The Department of Health said numbers had “increased”.
■ GPS will pocket a “golden hello” of £20,000 if they start in the countryside or on the coast, the Government has announced.