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David Cameron will axe nearly 2,000 nurses if he wins the General Election.

The plan has already been drawn up under Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, with nurse numbers to fall ­dramatically between spring 2015 and 2019.

The Prime Minister and Mr Hunt have tried to woo voters with an unfunded promise to pump an extra £8billion into the NHS by 2020.

But the nurse figures, unearthed in ­Government papers, show they already plan to leave hospitals short of key staff.

It is claimed the reduction by 1,966 would save the Tories up to £86million.

(Image: Reuters)

Labour leader Ed Miliband told the Sunday Mirror: “This shows you cannot risk the NHS with David Cameron and the Conservatives. In public they pretend to support the health service.

“In private they are drawing up plans to cut thousands of nurses.

“Hospitals are already at their limits and staff are working wonders, but this plan will push them over the edge.”

Mr Miliband has vowed to fund 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more GPs using cash from a “mansion tax” on properties worth £2million or more.

Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham added: “The NHS simply cannot take five more years of David Cameron.

“It is clear the Tory NHS promises have an expiry date of May 8 stamped on them.”

Nurses set for the chop include those working with mental health issues, learning disabilities and general adult care.

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The document from Health Education England reveals hospital chiefs plan to cut nurse numbers over the next four years for reasons “mainly driven by affordability”.

The paper, Workforce Plan for England 2015/16, shows hospital trusts needed to hire 4,000 more nurses this year just to meet guidelines to keep vacancies down to 5% of the workforce.

Yet despite that intense pressure already on hospital wards, the report predicts a total reduction of 1,966 by 2019.

The forecast includes 748 fewer staff in adult nursing and 131 fewer nurses helping people with learning difficulties.

Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “We are deeply alarmed. Nurses play a critical role in providing care.”