Money could pay for 66,000 qualified registered nurses to fill shortfall, according to research by the Open UniversityThe NHS is spending almost £1.5bn a year on temporary nursing staff to cope with shortages, research has found. The NHS has a shortfall of 40,000 nurses in England, according to the Royal College of Nursing. A report from the Open University, Tackling the nursing shortage, argues that the £1.46bn being spent on temporary staffing to plug the gaps could pay for 66,000 qualified registered nurses. The study found 34% of registered nurses were unhappy in their role, with 35% thinking of leaving their job if things did not improve. Meanwhile, the number of applications to study nursing at university have fallen by about a third since the introduction of student loans for nursing degrees, said the report.

Source: The Guardian May 13, 2018 22:52 UTC