ABUSE and burnout suffered by nurses has been “normalised” in the NHS, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned.

The RCN was responding to a year-long Times Health Commission investigating key aspects of health and social care including recruitment, retention and training. The report is due to be published today.

RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said: “Nurses have been warning that the NHS is on life support for years — it will never be back on a stable footing unless greater value is put on staff.