The government needs to make nursing higher education a priority.

The Royal College of Nursing, the body that speaks for nurses in England has described the current system for training nurses as 'broken'.

They are calling on Health and Social Care Minister Matt Hancock and NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens to set out a long-term plan for funding nursing education.

There are currently 42,000 unfilled nursing vacancies in England, this could rise to 48,000 over the next five years if the government does not act.

Since the removal of bursaries for nursing there are, the RCN says, 1800 fewer nurses in training.

This is due to nursing students doing placements with hours that prevent them from being able to work to support themselves, leaving many struggling financially.

In a statement on its website the RCN says, ' nursing students are on their courses to learn, but they are being used to fill gaps in the workforce and caring for patients before they are ready'.

They add that this ' isn't fair to nursing students and isn't safe for patients'.

In a speech made at St Mary's Hospital on the Isle of Wight during the 2017 general election Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said the government was using funding cuts to put the NHS 'through a cruel form of shock therapy'.

She went on to say that. The sign of a 'confident and caring country' was that it provides 'people the health care they need free at the point of use'.

The Green Party is committed to spending on the NHS that meets the needs of communities, not artificial government financial projections, with funding raised through general taxation earmarked for this use

The party also believes that NHS staff have been undervalued for too long and supports improving their pay, training and working hours.

Campaign Coordinator for North Staffs Green Party said ' the RCN have thrown light on the shockingly poor treatment of student nurses. They are being placed in a position where they are being priced out of studying. If we want a strong NHS and a healthy country this cannot continue'.

He added that ' as a member of the Patient's Congress I will be raising this issue with the local CCG'.

The RCN are calling on the government and NHS England to set aside a minimum of £1billion to improve funding for nursing higher education as part of its ten-year review of priorities.