One in every 11 NHS posts in England are currently unfilled, a vacancy rate that regulators say has contributed to one of the most challenging winter periods in NHS history.

NHS Improvement's quarterly performance report for the three months to December revealed there are around 100,000 vacancies in England.

The regulator said the staff shortage impacted on attempts to keep up with soaring demand that saw 5.6m people visit A&E in the quarter, 250,000 more than in the same period the previous year, and 400,000 patients admitted to hospital in December alone.

Despite assurances from the Prime Minister and NHS leaders that planning for this winter was the best-ever, NHS Improvement said A&E activity had been "higher than planned", and that Trusts faced difficulties freeing up beds occupied by patients requiring social care.

Image: There are 100,000 vacancies in the NHS, say regulators

While demand rose, performance against national targets in A&E and for elective surgery declined, as did the financial position of Trusts.


The financial performance deteriorated badly, with NHS Trusts now predicting a financial year-end deficit of £931m, £435m more than the planned deficit despite the Government providing £337m more in the Autumn Budget that the Chancellor said would address winter challenges.

Agency costs did decline in the quarter but the NHS spent £144m more than anticipated paying non-NHS private providers for healthcare.

NHS sources said responsibility for the worsening finances could be laid at the door of just 34 hospitals, but the body that represents Trusts said the report showed NHS staff had been "pushed to the limit".

"Despite working at full stretch with around 100,000 vacancies and a real risk of staff burnout, and despite treating six per cent more emergency patients year on year in December, trusts cannot close the gap between what they are being asked to deliver and the funding available," said Saffron Cordery of NHS Providers.

Image: Jonathan Ashworth said the figures were evidence of Government under-funding

"The figures confirm, once again, three key problems the whole NHS provider sector is facing - increases in demand for treatment continue to significantly outstrip increases in NHS funding; trust savings targets remain too ambitious; and there are serious ongoing workforce shortages."

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the figures were evidence of Government under-funding: "This Government has overseen a devastating decline in NHS finances and the result is worsening outcomes for patients, with huge staff shortages and treatments cancelled or delayed.

"NHS staff are working round the clock to cope with rising demand but Ministers are failing to give them the resources to do the job."

NHS Improvement chief executive Ian Dalton warned that next winter is not likely to be any easier: "More people than ever before are going to emergency departments up and down the country at a time when providers are already having to tighten their belts.

"It would be unrealistic to assume the demand which has been building for a number of years is going to reverse."