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The majority of nurses and healthcare workers are having to choose between food or fuel, study finds

NURSES and healthcare workers are feeling the bite of the cost-of-living crisis with two-thirds having to choose between food and fuel, a damning study revealed today.

Research by healthcare platform Florence found that one in five of the front-line workers were turning to foodbanks.

It comes ahead of a ballot by the Royal College of Nursing this week on whether its members support strike action over a 5 per cent pay offer from the government.

The survey found that 94 per cent of nursing and healthcare staff are calling for a pay rise in line with soaring inflation and 28 per cent are already planning to leave the profession in search of better pay.

Florence founder Dr Charles Armitage said: “For too long, Britain’s underfunded, overstretched system has pushed more NHS and social care professionals to leave than to stay.

“High vacancy rates are fuelling long wait times, burnout, and ultimately driving the existing workforce out — all in search of less pressure and better pay.

“It’s unsustainable and we need an urgent, long-term solution.

“We need to see increased pay, greater efforts to bring more people into healthcare and enhanced training as a start.”

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