Can the NHS boost nurse numbers by 50,000?

Can the NHS boost nurse numbers by 50,000? The Conservative manifesto pledges to add 50,000 nurses to the workforce in England by 2024-25.

How realistic is this target, particularly given that nurse numbers have gone up by only about 5,000 since 2010?

Workforce is one of the main concerns for the NHS in England right now. Health employers talk of difficulties filling rotas and worries about how future staff can be recruited at a time of rising patient demand. BBC News

See also:

• Will a Conservative government deliver 50,000 more nurses? The Guardian
• I’m a nurse, and here’s how to attract more of us to the NHS | Molly Case The Guardian
• Will a Boris Johnson government deliver 50000 more NHS nurses? The Independent