THE NHS will not deliver on the Tories’ Long Term Plan if the government does not address staff shortages in the health service, MPs warn today.

The NHS will “rapidly reach towards crisis point” if it continues to lose staff and fails to attract more workers, according to the Public Accounts Committee report.

There are currently 100,000 vacancies in the NHS, according to the report.

Officials have “painted an overly positive picture” of the NHS’s financial stability and played down the challenges ahead, the committee said.

The Long Term Plan was published in January after the government said it would inject an extra £20.5 billion per year by 2023.

Last year, the NHS almost balanced its budget with NHS England, trusts and clinical commissioning groups reporting a combined deficit of £21 million.

But the report spotlighted warning signs that the NHS’s “financial health is getting worse,” with increasing loans to support struggling trusts, growing waiting lists and slipping waiting times.

Committee chairwoman Meg Hillier said: “Voices from the front line came through loud and clear in our latest examination of NHS sustainability. The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS bodies need to heed these voices and act now.

“We remain concerned about the absence of new funding for vital areas of work. Investment in capital, adult social care, prevention initiatives and training will be critical.”

The Labour MP warned that if the Long Term Plan was to be “more than just an aspiration,” the government must “engage fully with the detail” and “ensure necessary resources are directed to the right places.”

GMB national officer Rachel Harrison told the Star that although the NHS Long Term Plan was “well and good,” without the staff numbers it was “set to fail from the start.”

She said that along with a recruitment crisis there was an issue with the retention of staff.

“Loyal staff are leaving the services and are going elsewhere as they are expected to go over and above,” Ms Harrison said.

“They are expected to cope and this impacts on their wellbeing, which is not being addressed.

“If the NHS is serious about attracting apprentices they must offer than just minimum wage,” Ms Harrison also warned.

An NHS review on workforce is expected to be published after the 2019 spending review.