The National Health Service is buckling under the weight of rising demand as is faces a severe staffing shortage.

With recruits from the European Union beginning to leave the NHS in greater numbers, the question of how to staff our hospitals and care homes becomes more acute.

More than 40,000 nursing roles are currently unfilled amid a sector-wide crisis.

Experts warn three things need to happen simultaneously to begin to bridge the gap: more recruits from abroad, training more UK nurses, and keeping hold of the current workforce.

After visa restrictions were relaxed in 2018, last year saw the number of nurses arriving from outside the European Economic Area double to more than 8,000.