Vocal Voices

So the unions say.

Under new rules for migrant workers non-European workers will have to leave the UK after six years if they are not earning at least £35,000. The unions say this could cost 3,300 nursing jobs.

So why not train more nurses? Currently about 10,000 are trained each year, but that is only 20% of suitable applicants. It is not as if the pay is bad as this helpful BBC table shows:

Nurse pay and roles
Band. Pay range. Typical role
5 £21,692 - £28,180 Entry level nurse or midwife
6 £26,041 - £34,876 Staff nurse, such as theatre nurse
7 £31,072 - £40,694 Senior nurse, such as ward sister / team leader
8 £39,632 - £81,618 Nurse consultant or matron

And in order to bring in more nurses in a shorter time a move back to the SRN/SEN system might help. It is not as if all nurses need a degree to work.

Far, FAR, too sensible WM.....

They'll never go for it, it's not "Progress" you know.

I mean, the unions were never overly good at demand and supply management were they? 3,300. They're all going year one are they? Unlikely.

So why not train an extra 600 per year and after six years we'll have... wait for it..... 3,600 new staff.

Got to be a mistake there somewhere. Eh?

I don't understand. About five years ago my son went out with a trainee nurse. Of all the nurses who graduated in the year above her, only two got jobs in the NHS. All the others ended up going abroad.

So why are we now recruiting nurses from abroad?

cromwell wrote:So why are we now recruiting nurses from abroad?

They're cheaper in the short term...

When I was working as a medical secretary a few years ago, one of the medical secretaries decided to train as a nurse. After she had finished her course there was no nursing job available for her and she came back to work as a medical secretary. I think she did eventually get a job in nursing but it took her quite a while.