Nurses are under fire from the Tory austerity drive, after the Chancellor announced plans to scrap their means-tested bursaries with loans. The move by George Osborne to save £800 million a year could leave nurses with up to £50,000 of debt.

 Last Friday Mary met with Sarah Dodsworth, the Regional Director of the Royal College of Nursing, to discuss the very real concerns about the Government’s proposals. Mary said, “Wakefield needs more nurses. Moves like this which put off good people from entering the profession should be challenged at every turn.”

Mary also attended an NHS discussion in Newmillerdam last week where she shared the panel with Lucie Cocker, an impressive junior doctor at Pinderfields. Mary said, “Last week’s strike by junior doctors is another example of NHS staff being let down by the government, and poses a real threat to the recruitment and retention of NHS staff.”