Mary Creagh has backed Labour’s plans to recruit 20,000 more nurses by 2020, including 2,100 in Yorkshire.

Under this government, nurse numbers have failed to keep pace with demand while more than half of nurses say their ward is dangerously understaffed. Yorkshire has lost nearly 1,400 nurses since 2010.

Unlike the Tories, Labour will protect the NHS and ensure we have an NHS ready to meet future challenges.

These extra nurses will be funded through the Time to Care Fund – raised from a mansion tax on properties over £2m, cracking down on tax avoidance and a new levy on tobacco firms.

Mary Creagh MP said:

“Our NHS is in crisis under the Tories. Pinderfields A&E has been pushed to breaking point. The NHS as we know it cannot survive another five years of David Cameron. If we want a world-class NHS then we need enough nurses with the time to care for patients. That’s why I’m proud that the next Labour government will fund 2,100 nurses for Yorkshire, including for Wakefield.

Regional nurse numbers

         Based on the current distribution of nurses in England, Labour’s plans would mean significant increases in nurse numbers in every region, as shown in the table below.

Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred. London region covers the Health Education England regions of North West, North, Central and East, and South London, while South East region covers the Health Education England regions of Thames Valley, Wessex, and Kent, Surrey and Sussex