I was recently discussing one of the many Johnson promises, and the failings of the media to challenge him. There is a lot of amusement in the press that this 50,000 more nurses includes 18,000 who are already employed. That is a fair point. But no-one raises the fact that currently there are 43,000 unfilled nursing positions. So his grand plan, if it completely fulfils its objectives, aims to leave us still some 11,000 nurses short.

And that is without building a single new hospital, which will presumably require some nurses.