Staff apply for financial support

Poverty-stricken nurses are rushing to apply for funds from a charity that helps professionals who have fallen on hard times, latest figures reveal.

Elizabeth Finn Care, which helps professionals in need of financial help, has seen a large increase in nurse applicants over the last two months.

According to the charity, 20% of those applying for help now come from a nursing background. Bryan Clover, the charity's director of casework, said: 'Utility bills are costing more along with mortgage payments.'

The charity also said the lack of financial security was going unnoticed by the general public, with just 2% of the UK population thinking nurses were likely to fall into poverty, according to its survey of 1,088 people.

Unison has also seen a 22% rise in nurses applying to its welfare fund in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period last year.