Claim: There is a shortage of 40,000 nurses across the UK.
Fact-check: Are we short of 40,000 nurses? - Full Fact
Verdict: this is correct, according to an estimate of full-time equivalent nursing vacancies in december 2016 done by the royal college of nursing, though it only refers to england. that isn't the same as the number of nurses nhs england needs.
Organisation: Full Fact
Author: Claire Milne
Date published: 2017-09-06T00:00:00