The NHS will suffer cuts worth £2.7bn after the government miscalculated the pension costs of public sector workers, new analysis by the House of Commons library has shown.

The research suggested that government underestimated the costs by as much as £4bn a year.

That money could have paid for the salaries of over 61,900 nurses, the Labour Party, which released the research, said.

The government had pledged to cover the additional costs up until 2020, but the health service will need to pay for the shortfall until the next election.

Labour said the cuts were evidence that “you cannot trust the Tories with our NHS”.

Peter Dowd, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the treasury, said: “Billions of pounds are being quietly cut from our NHS, due to a poisonous cocktail of disastrous economic mismanagement and spiteful behaviour. These cuts are the equivalent of paying the salary of over 61,000 nurses a year. Nurses whom we desperately need after eight years of crushing austerity in our NHS.”

The Treasury and Department of Health declined to comment when contacted by The Independent. The Conservative Party has also been asked for comment.

The announcement that the government had underestimated the pension costs of all public sector workers by as much as £4bn a year was quietly announced in a statement earlier this month.

“The chancellor must immediately own up and commit to meeting these extra costs, not just push them on to slashed and struggling public services,” Mr Dowd added. “All this just goes to show, you cannot trust the Tories with our NHS.”

It comes after experts warned a government pledge to invest £145m in emergency department upgrades and 900 more beds would “not scratch the surface” of shortages which severely affected the NHS last winter.

NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Show all 18 1 /18 NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary People holding placards attend a demonstration and celebration march to mark the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), in central London on June 30, 2018. Organised by the Peoples Assembly, Health Campaigns Together, The TUC and 11 other health trade unions, tens of thousands are expected to attend the only national public event organised to mark the anniversary of the British Health Service. / AFP PHOTO / Tolga AKMENTOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, addresses demonstrators following the march AFP/Getty NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary A man stands with a coffin, used as a prop at a demonstration and celebration march to mark the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), in central London on June 30, 2018. Organised by the Peoples Assembly, Health Campaigns Together, The TUC and 11 other health trade unions, tens of thousands are expected to attend the only national public event organised to mark the anniversary of the British Health Service. / AFP PHOTO / Tolga AKMENTOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary epa06851663 Thousands of people march, to mark 70 years of the British National Health Service (NHS), in central London, Britain, 30 June 2018. Reports state that the gathering is calling on the government for increased funding and staffing for the NHS, as well as a protest against privatisation of an organisation which turns 70 years old on 05 July 2018. EPA/ANDY RAIN ANDY RAIN EPA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary People holding placards attend a demonstration and celebration march to mark the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), in central London on June 30, 2018. Organised by the Peoples Assembly, Health Campaigns Together, The TUC and 11 other health trade unions, tens of thousands are expected to attend the only national public event organised to mark the anniversary of the British Health Service. / AFP PHOTO / Tolga AKMENTOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary A man wears an NHS themed hat during a march in support of the National Health Service, in central London, Britain, June 30, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson SIMON DAWSON Reuters NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Demonstrators hold placards during a march in support of the National Health Service, in central London, Britain, June 30, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson SIMON DAWSON REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary epa06851662 A man with a birthday placard as thousands of people march, to mark 70 years of the British National Health Service (NHS), in central London, Britain, 30 June 2018. Reports state that the gathering is calling on the government for increased funding and staffing for the NHS, as well as a protest against privatisation of an organisation which turns 70 years old on 05 July 2018. EPA/ANDY RAIN ANDY RAIN EPA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Demonstrators stand in Whitehall during a march in support of the National Health Service, in central London, Britain, June 30, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson SIMON DAWSON REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary People march in central London to mark the 70th anniversary of the NHS. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday June 30, 2018. See PA story INDUSTRY Demonstration. Photo credit should read: John Stillwell/PA Wire John Stillwell PA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Demonstrators hold placards during of a march in support of the National Health Service, in central London, Britain, June 30, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson SIMON DAWSON REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary People holding placards attend a demonstration and celebration march to mark the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), in central London on June 30, 2018. Organised by the Peoples Assembly, Health Campaigns Together, The TUC and 11 other health trade unions, tens of thousands are expected to attend the only national public event organised to mark the anniversary of the British Health Service. / AFP PHOTO / Tolga AKMENTOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Demonstrators hold placards during a march in support of the National Health Service, in central London, Britain, June 30, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson SIMON DAWSON REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Jeremy Corbyn and Jon Ashworth speak during a march in central London, marking the 70th anniversary of the NHS. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday June 30, 2018. See PA story INDUSTRY Demonstration. Photo credit should read: John Stillwell/PA Wire John Stillwell PA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary People holding placards attend a demonstration and celebration march to mark the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), in central London on June 30, 2018. Organised by the Peoples Assembly, Health Campaigns Together, The TUC and 11 other health trade unions, tens of thousands are expected to attend the only national public event organised to mark the anniversary of the British Health Service. / AFP PHOTO / Tolga AKMENTOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary People holding placards attend a demonstration and celebration march to mark the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), in central London on June 30, 2018. Organised by the Peoples Assembly, Health Campaigns Together, The TUC and 11 other health trade unions, tens of thousands are expected to attend the only national public event organised to mark the anniversary of the British Health Service. / AFP PHOTO / Tolga AKMENTOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary People gather with placards to attend a demonstration and celebration march to mark the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), in central London on June 30, 2018. Organised by the Peoples Assembly, Health Campaigns Together, The TUC and 11 other health trade unions, tens of thousands are expected to attend the only national public event organised to mark the anniversary of the British Health Service. / AFP PHOTO / Tolga AKMENTOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary People gather with placards to attend a demonstration and celebration march to mark the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), in central London on June 30, 2018. Organised by the Peoples Assembly, Health Campaigns Together, The TUC and 11 other health trade unions, tens of thousands are expected to attend the only national public event organised to mark the anniversary of the British Health Service. / AFP PHOTO / Tolga AKMENTOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Images

Hospitals had to deploy 4,000 extra beds to manage demand last year and said much more investment was needed.