The promised figure includes thousands 'retained' in the health service
Boris Johnson's promise of 50,000 new nurses for the NHS includes 18,500 existing NHS nurses.
It's the headline policy from the Tory manifesto, launched this afternoon in Telford.
But it fell apart within hours of being announced - as the party were forced to admit the figure included thousands of nurses 'retained' in the health service.
Labour branded the claim "deceitful."
The party also announced the return of maintenance grants, worth £5,000 to £8,000 a year for student nurses.
But there was no mention in the manifesto of help to pay for tuition fees.
Tory officials said the 50,000 figure would be made up of 14,000 new undergraduate student nurses and 5,000 degree apprenticeships.
They will be supplemented by 12,500 nurses brought to the UK from abroad, making 31,000 'new' nurses.
The other 18,500, the party say, will be nurses who are 'retained' in the health service who would otherwise have left.
They said they had plans to keep nurses in the profession, including professional training, support and more childcare for returning mums.
But it means at least 40% of the promised 50,000 nurses are already NHS nurses.
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 7:17 pm