Jeremy Hunt is giving evidence to the Commons health committee on the effects of Brexit today

Racist attacks on NHS staff have more than doubled in a year, with Brexit blamed for inflaming tensions in hospitals.

Official figures show that there was more than one assault every day on doctors, nurses and other frontline staff because of their race or religion. Rising waiting times and overcrowded hospitals were also cited after figures obtained by The Times showed that assaults on health service employees involving religious or racial factors rose from 225 in 2014-15 to 496 in the following year.

The rise appears to be continuing, with 320 attacks up to the end of October, on course to top 500 this financial year.

Anthea Mowat, chairwoman of the British Medical Association’s representative body, described the figures as “a wake-up call”.

“International doctors