3,600 nurses are axed in the capital to slash NHS debt

13 April 2012

More than 3,600 nursing posts have been axed in London in the past 18 months, figures show today.

Hospital managers have been forced to reduce workforce numbers as they face massive debts and pressure from NHS trusts to save money.

It comes as nurses called for new legislation to prevent health chiefs cutting more jobs as they balance the budgets.

Managers who persistently ignore the regulations and run under-staffed services should face the sack, the Royal College of Nursing annual congress in Harrogate was told.

Nationally, 22,000 positions have been axed since the end of 2005. London suffered the largest cutbacks with 3,628 jobs lost. The figures were included in a report by the RCN entitled Our NHS Today And Tomorrow.

The RCN said wards have been closed, temporary staff laid off and new recruitment frozen to ensure the NHS comes back in balance.

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