NURSES are under “intolerable stress” and increasingly experience suicidal thoughts, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) reveals in a report published today.

The union said that it was approached every day by nurses seeking help and that numbers doing so had increased by 54 per cent over the last two years, with workplace pressure given as a key factor.

The RCN is calling for funding for the provision of mental health advice for nursing staff at every health trust.