Nursing hit by big drop in students

NURSING shortages will get worse after student numbers plunged by 2,000 in a year, says their union.

- NICOLA SMALL

A Royal College of Nursing report says Tory failures to tackle the workforce crisis has created the "greatest risk to publicly funded health and care services since their creation".

Last year alone, more than 25,000 left the Nursing and Midwifery Council register, leaving 47,000 posts vacant.

Now the RCN fears the shortfall in England could soar to more than 140,000 by 2030/31.