SHOCKING reports of nurses forgoing food at work in order to feed and clothe their families should bring shame to ministers, trade unions have said. 

A survey by NHS Providers, released today, found that more than a quarter of hospital trusts — 27 per cent — in England have opened foodbanks for staff, while another 19 per cent plan to open one.

The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on nurses is so severe that hospital bosses said some staff have taken on second jobs outside the NHS, while others had quit to take on better-paid jobs in retail and hospitality.