Waiting times are expected to increase and patients put in jeopardy due to an inability to meet demand, health service bosses have been warned

The NHS will suffer its worst winter in recent history unless it gets up to £350 million for extra beds and staff, health chiefs warned last night.

Waiting times will increase and patients will be put in jeopardy because NHS trusts have “insufficient capacity to meet extra expected demand”, according to NHS Providers.

The industry body, which represents 229 of the 233 NHS trusts in England, said an extra £1 billion that the government gave councils to improve social care was failing to get bed blockers off the wards as ministers had hoped.

Hospitals were better prepared than last year, the organisation said, but shortages of key staff and more demand for their services meant patients would suffer during the busiest periods.

“Last winter was