Why the NHS could be facing an exodus of nurses to the US

Could US president Barack Obama’s health reforms result in thousands of nurses leaving the NHS to work across the Atlantic, as a senior health official has warned?

The US is looking to fill a shortfall of as many as 100,000 nurses and could “come shopping” in the UK, said Professor Ian Cumming, who leads the NHS body responsible for training and education.

Nurses thinking about swapping the UK for the USA could benefit from more than just the weather - with the average salary for a nurse almost £9,000 better Stateside.

It has also been estimated that morale is at an all-time low among NHS nurses, as a result of increasing work pressures and salary increases well behind inflation.

Read Charlie Cooper's full report here