London: The government is on track to meet its manifesto commitment to deliver 50,000 more nurses in the NHS by 2024, with over 27,000 more nurses now working across the NHS.
A progress report published today shows that overall total nurse numbers now stand at 327,907, as of December 2021, compared to 300,904 in September 2019. By March 2024, there are set to be around 351,000 full-time equivalent nurses to provide world-class care across the health service. The new report also sets out the government’s plans for reaching the target.
The government is focused on recruiting and retaining nurses to compensate for those retiring, reducing their hours or leaving the NHS.
The report is published ahead of a speech this week from the Health and Social Secretary on his plans for long-term healthcare reform to support the NHS to recover and tackle the COVID backlogs.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “It’s fantastic to see the progress we have made towards our manifesto commitment of delivering 50,000 more nurses by 2024. There are now over 27,000 more nurses providing exceptional care and treatment for patients across the country every day.”