Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary, responding to UNISON’s survey into the effect of chronic understaffing in the NHS, said:

“These are shocking findings revealing the extent to which chronic staff shortages are hindering the delivery of safe, quality health care.

“The truth is our NHS is suffering from 9 years of Tory squeeze, mismanagement and cuts leaving the service short of 100,000 staff today .

“It’s not good enough for ministers to just shrug their shoulders when patients are at risk. The recent NHS plan offered no clear strategy to deliver the staff our health and care sectors desperately need.

“Only Labour will deliver a credible long term plan with safe staffing at its heart.”

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