Another little report explaining why we’ve got problems in the education system.
I’m trying to get every Premiership footballer to give a day’s pay to
nurses on May 13, the final day of the season, which coincides with the
end of International Nursing Week. The £1.5m or more that the players
earn on that day would make a real difference to the nurses among whom
the money will be redistributed.
Fine, wonderful, although I do hope that at least one footballer is willing to snarl that he already pays 40% of his wages to pay for nurses.
It’s not just that nurses are undervalued, but a shortage is looming –
14,000 within four years, according to figures leaked from the
Department of Health. Instead of looking to train more nurses, training
places have been cut by 10% this year. And in England and Wales
(Scotland is getting its act together) nothing is being done to address
the fact that up to 71% of newly qualified nurses have not been able to
get a job – the result of job cuts and freezes.
So there’s a shortage of nurses and a surplus of nurses at the same time? You’d have to be some sort of academic to swallow that wouldn’t you?
Noreena Hertz is a campaigner and distinguished fellow of Cambridge University’s Judge Business School.
Ah.
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