NHS facing ‘unprecedented’ nursing crisis with 40,000 posts unfilled as nurses threaten strikes over pay cap
The best nurses are leaving their jobs as they 'cannot afford to stay'
FEARS for the safety of NHS patients has soared as thousands of nursing positions are unfilled, it has emerged.
Royal College of Nursing chief Janet Davies claims a "perfect storm" is set to swarm the profession, as large numbers have quit because of poor pay and staff shortages.
The number of unfilled posts has doubled in the last three years, the reports.
Despite facing 10 years of warning signs, Ms Davies believes the nursing profession is now "officially shrinking".
She said: "The best nurses feel forced to throw in the towel because of unprecedented staff shortages, relentless pressure and poor pay.
"The NHS is being dragged down by the worst nursing shortage in its history.
"Ministers cannot be caught idle."
More experienced nurses are said to be leaving because they "cannot afford to stay", even though they like their jobs.
The RCN is set stage a protest outside Parliament today, to condemn the below-inflation 1 per cent public sector pay cap.
The cap has driven nursing pay to plummet by around £3,000 - 14 per cent - since 2010,
At least 2,000 nurses health workers are set to particpate in the protest.
The worrying news comes after a recent poll revealed seven in 10 people believed there are not enough nurses, according to the Mirror.
An equal amount of people believed nurses are unpaid, the newspaper claims.
Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth told the newspaper: “The Tory Government has taken NHS staff for granted for years and the result is staffing shortages across the health service and even longer waits for patients.”