I've Been Placed In Charge Of Wards Without Defibrillators

Kick out all the cutters and private profiteers

There are 40,000 unfilled nursing vacancies across the country.

Experienced nurses are quitting because of the strain and there’s a 6% drop in students taking nursing degrees this September. With fewer nurses training to take their places, the crisis can only intensify.

So thousands of members of nurses’ union RCN converged on parliament on 6 September to protest against the 1% public sector pay cap.

Despite innumerable SOS-calls to successive governments, the nursing profession is in worsening crisis. This is against a background of an NHS in meltdown and society-wide austerity. Since 2010, nurses have seen a 14% real-terms cut in their pay.

If the figures appear bleak, the reality on the wards is bleaker still.