The NHS is drawing up plans to replace nurses with cheaper staff, despite Government insistence that new roles will be used to boost staffing numbers, new plans show.

Health service managers in charge of services in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West intend to save more than £30 million by using more “generic support workers” and healthcare assistants while cutting back on highly qualified nurses.

The four-year plan – one of 44 being drawn up around the country – follows BMJ research earlier this week which linked increased reliance on nursing assistants to a sharp rise in death risks.