Nine in 10 largest NHS hospitals short of nurses

More than nine in 10 of England’s 50 largest NHS hospital trusts are not staffed with nurses to the planned levels, analysis by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) shows.

The analysis, based on data from the NHS Choices website, also reveals that hospitals are putting more unregistered support staff on shift to cope with the shortage of registered nurses - a move which is particularly prevalent on night shifts when two-thirds of the trusts put more health care assistants on the wards than planned.

The findings support the RCN’s recent research which found 40,000 nurse vacancies across the NHS in England.

Janet Davies, RCN chief executive, said the findings showed patients were being put at risk, and called on the government to increase the number of nurses.

She said: “These startling figures show that, despite the government’s rhetoric, our largest hospitals still do not have enough nurses and that is putting patients at risk.

“In light of this, the government must redouble its efforts to train and recruit more qualified nurses and stop haemorrhaging the experienced ones who are fed up, undervalued and burning out fast.

“It is unfair on the healthcare assistants too – they should not be left in a situation they have not been trained to handle.

“Nurses have degrees and expert training and, to be blunt, the evidence shows patients stand a better chance of survival and recovery when there are more of them on the ward.

“Patients can pay the very highest price when the government encourages ‘nursing on the cheap’.”