Nurses may be put in Army barracks
Nurses could soon be living in Army barracks, it emerged last night.
The Ministry of Defence and Department of Health have been discussing ways to provide lodgings in London and the South East that nurses can afford to live in.
It could mean soldiers will be moved out of their quarters to make way for them.
The MoD has offered to transfer space in several properties - including Chelsea Barracks - to the NHS to bolster recruitment.
Around 3,000 soldiers are stationed in London and many barracks are in prime locations, including Birdcage Walk next to Buckingham Palace. More than a quarter of nursing jobs in some London hospitals are vacant.
The Government is considering the plan as part of a package of emergency measures to deal with the housing crisis for public sector workers.
It is backed by Beverley Malone, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, who said: 'The barracks are very nice. I think nurses would be willing to live there.'
The Health Department said it is having discussions to maximise the amount of accommodation available for nurses.
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