One in three nurses do not have time to carry out basic patient care, a report has revealed.

Nurses said they were so busy they could not perform essential tasks like helping patients go to the toilet or wash, providing pain relief and preventing bed sores.

The Royal College of Nursing, which compiled the report, warned staff shortages in NHS hospitals meant patient safety was being put at risk.

Janet Davies, RCN chief executive, said: “It is shocking that over a third of nurses in our survey said they often don’t enough time to carry out even basic patient care – things like help with eating, taking patients to the toilet and being able to talk to relatives.

“None of us would want our family members to be overlooked in this way because there weren’t enough nurses.”

The report, Staffing for Safe and Effective Care: Nursing on the Brink, analysed the responses of nearly 18,000 nurses who were surveyed last year about their experiences on the wards.