This week figures from the Nursery and Midwifery Council revealed a disturbing trend in the number of nurses on whom so many of us rely. Over 34,000 nurses and midwives have left the NMC register in the last year, continuing the trend of declining numbers which began last year.

Of those nurses who left the register recently (and weren’t retiring) 44% stated working conditions and a further 27% cited disillusionment with the quality of care given to patients, meaning a total of 71% left due to the current state of the NHS.

If the government doesn’t scrap its public sector pay cap and put the investment the NHS needs into the system, morale will continue to suffer and we may find that our NHS is unable to cope.