AN overstretched, understaffed health service with exhausted workers under “unsustainable pressure” is putting cancer patients at risk, England’s health ombudsman warned yesterday.

Rob Behrens called for “concerted and sustained action” by the government to allow NHS leaders to put patient safety first.

His comments came as figures from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman revealed that there were 1,019 investigations related to cancer between April 2020 and December 2023.