Justin Madders MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Minister, commenting on the latest NHS Workforce and Vacancies Statistics, said:

“Theresa May has overseen an unprecedented workforce crisis in the NHS. Her incompetence has left our health service with a shortage of 40,000 nurses, 3,500 midwives and 10,000 GPs.

“For years the Tories have taken NHS staff for granted and asked them to do more for less, resulting in a recruitment and retention crisis which threatens patient care on a daily basis.

“Frankly the Government’s solution of hiring expensive agency staff or asking hard-pressed existing staff to cover extra shifts is not in the best of interests of patients or medical professionals. 

“The public is under no illusions: a repeat of last winter’s crisis is simply intolerable and Theresa May must now take urgent action to secure a sustainable workforce in our NHS.”