THERE are not enough NHS staff to ensure safe care for maternity patients or those recovering from injury or illness, according to a poll of nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants.

Respondents to the Unison survey, from 1,470 shifts at 42 hospitals in Britain, said that staff were short on 69 per cent of shifts, up from 63 per cent two years ago.

Workers reported that the most serious safety concerns were on maternity wards and in units supporting recovery or elderly care, where over 80 per cent said care was compromised.

More than half of all shifts involved a “red flag” safety event, such as delays of over 30 minutes in administering pain relief, with such incidents more common where staff felt there were too few workers.

While 64 per cent of respondents reported staffing concerns to their NHS trust, only one in five received a satisfactory response. 

More than half of those who did not report a problem said they had lacked confidence that action would be taken.

Unison national nursing officer Stuart Tuckwood said: “These figures show staffing levels across the health service are alarmingly low on a regular basis.

“Nursing staff are often unable to provide vital care or administer pain relief to their patients on time.

“Workers are desperate for help from their employers, but there’s little action when they report their concerns.

“These figures should be a wake-up call for health service leaders, given the state of NHS finances and talk of cuts.”

Mr Tuckwood called for urgent investment in hospital staffing to ensure that patients are kept safe.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government inherited a broken NHS with an overworked and demoralised workforce.

“We are getting the health service back on its feet, delivering over three million extra appointments to date and cutting hospital waiting lists.

“We’re also improving conditions for NHS staff and we will ensure we have the right staff in the right place to give patients the care they deserve.”