(click image to enlarge)
After the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948, one of the many issues that the NHS faced in the post-war era was a shortage of qualified nurses.
Though the present cartoon playfully implies that the shortage was due to prospective nurses instead being seduced by the chances of stardom and glamour, the shortage was down to a number of factors, including a general labour shortage in the aftermath of WWII and the huge demand for the services of the NHS.
To remedy the problem, the Ministry of Health encouraged the recruitment of male nurses, including creating special training programmes for returning servicemen. The government also increased recruitment from the Caribbean and other parts of the Commonwealth.
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