Huge surge in nursing applications in Merseyside
Health bosses say thousands want to work in the NHS inspired by the pandemic
Last updated 28th Jun 2021
Health leaders in Merseyside say they're seeing a big surge in people wanting to be nurses - inspired by the NHS response to the pandemic.
More than 3,500 more nurses, midwives and health visitors were working across the North West in February compared to last year.
Bosses are calling it the 'Nightingale effect'
Hazel Richards is Chief Nurse at Arrowe Park :
"There's probably 40,000 vacancies in the country but the universities are reporting a massive upsurge in applications for the nursing degree and in the next three to five years they'll then be qualified and as much as there has been huge heartache and loss, if we're going to get more nurses in the future then that's fantastic".