Seriously ill patients are not receiving treatment due to a shortage of NHS staff
HOSPITALS will miss targets for clearing the Covid backlog due to staff shortages, NHS bosses have warned.
About 98 percent of executives say crippling vacancies will make patients suffer even longer, a poll shows.
It comes despite National Insurance increasing by 1.25 percentage points from next month to raise £12 billion a year to tackle the backlog.
There are more than 6.1 million people on the waiting list – up from 4.4 million during the pandemic.
Health Minister Sajid Javid wants this figure to be under control by 2024.
But NHS Providers, who conducted the poll, say there are 110,000 NHS vacancies.
Deputy chief Saffron Cordery says this means staff are trying to clear the backlog with “one hand tied behind their back”.
More than 100 health groups have written to Number 10 to urge MPs to accept a bill that would force the Government to reveal the staff numbers the NHS needs to meet future demand.
Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the proposal was likely to be voted down tomorrow.
He added: “This is reckless and short-sighted. After three lockdowns to protect NHS capacity, it is surely time to solve the workforce crisis.”