MPs in England have warned that the NHS is facing the worst staffing crisis in history. A report by MPs found that England is now short of 12,000 hospital doctors and more than 50,000 nurses and midwives. The enormous number of unfilled job vacancies is posing a serious risk to patient safety. The government has said that the workforce is growing and NHS England is devising long-term plans to help recruit more staff.

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who chairs the Common health and social care select committee that produced the report, said that tackling the shortage must be a “top priority” for the new prime minister in September when they take over. “Persistent understaffing in the NHS poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety, a situation compounded by the absence of a long-term plan by the government to tackle it,” said Hunt.

Current projections suggest that nearly a million new jobs will need to be filled in health and social care within the next decade. More staff will be needed to keep up with rising demand as the population ages and as healthcare becomes increasingly complex and technologically advanced.

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