PATIENTS are missing out on safe and compassionate care due to a shortage of NHS staff, a poll of healthcare workers by Unison reveals today.

Almost half (45 per cent) of the more than 15,000 front-line NHS staff surveyed by the union said there were not enough workers on their shift to ensure that services met the highest standards.

Acute inpatient wards were hardest hit, with 59 per cent of those surveyed in these units saying staffing levels were insufficient.

Some 45 per cent of people working in mental health and 36 per cent in community health said the same about their working environments.

Almost half of those surveyed said their service relied on bank or agency staff to help plug the gaps, mainly to fill nursing roles.

One in seven respondents rated the quality of care as “compromised” and one in six said “patient safety was put at risk.”

Nearly 40 per cent of NHS staff worked longer than their scheduled hours, often for no extra pay.

About one in six said they had been subjected to violence, aggression and verbal abuse during their shift and 26 per cent reported experiencing extremely high levels of stress.

The poll follows NHS figures published in November showing that close to 103,000 NHS jobs are vacant with a shortage of almost 41,000 nurses.

Unison is calling for more government funding to fill the gaps, alongside mandatory safe staffing levels to ensure patient safety.

Unison head of health Sara Gorton said: “This survey shows the extent to which crisis-level staffing has become normal across the whole NHS.

“These are long-term, systemic factors not being properly addressed.

“But, hearteningly, it also shows the dedication and compassion these hard-working, committed staff continue to show at the most trying times.”