The NHS is the fifth largest employer in the World, and yet has a shortfall of staff; particularly in nursing. These shortages have been widely reported on, with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic further highlighting the strain that staff and funding shortages cause across the health and social care sector. Julie Messenger, Senior Lecturer and Nursing Lead at The Open University, is a nurse with more than forty years NHS and educational experiences linked to the education of nurses, looks at the staffing challenges facing the NHS, and some of the solutions.