Blair gives extra cash to recruit nurses

The government has promised an extra Pounds 60 million next year to fund 6,000 new training places for nurses and help address a staffing crisis in the National Health Service. The money, announced this week by prime minister Tony Blair, comes on top of Pounds 800 million already earmarked for training placements. Mr Blair said the NHS needed 15,000 more nurses. He also announced plans to create "super nurses" by opening career paths into consultancy.