title: Don't prescribe on the cheap.
abstract: Newly qualified nurses should not be allowed to prescribe (Readers' panel, 5 April). And band 5 nurses should not be expected to prescribe until we get paid more. Are they pre-empting the lower number of junior doctors the NHS will see in the years to come and using nurses as a cheaper alternative? Nurses' responsibilities have evolved so much that doing basic nursing care is a distant memory to some, and what thanks have we got? A pay cut!
authors.forename: Kayleigh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boulton