There was a 60% rise in the number of nurses and midwives requesting assistance from the Cavell Nurses' Trust in November compared with August.
Recent research from the charity found that nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants were twice as likely to experience financial hardship as members of the general public. ‘It’s very clear that too many nursing professionals are facing hardship on a daily basis. We think this is appalling,’ said John Orchard, the chief executive of the Cavell Nurses' Trust.
The survey asked more than 2200 nurses about their living situation. Over half (55%) of those surveyed couldn’t afford to replace broken furniture like beds and 19% couldn’t afford to own two pairs of all-weather shoes. Additionally, the research found cases of nurses having to take on second jobs to pay the rent.
‘Many of the amazing people we help are “just about managing”,’ added Mr Orchard. ‘Then a crisis in their own health or a financial shock, like a boiler breaking, a child needing a new bed or a relationship breaking down means they can’t cope.’
Research done by Independent Nurse revealed similar findings. In a survey on nurses' financial situation conducted in May, nearly four out of five respondents said that they had to borrow money, from family members, while 60% resorted to bank loans. A further 5% of respondents said they had used food banks at least once. Others said they had maxed out their credit cards or had to contact debt restructuring services just to get by, while one respondent reported that they worked three jobs and 80 hours each week.
The Cavell Nurse’s Trust is urging healthcare professionals to be involved with the charity, and provide assistance to nurses and midwives who are struggling to manage.