YORK Central MP Rachael Maskell says she will be raising the hospital staffing shortages in Parliament.

The Labour MP said the reports of staffing challenges at York’s hospital were a "cause for serious concern" and nationally, NHS waiting lists had rocketed to 5.6 million and York Hospital was facing unprecedented pressures too.

“While still in the midst of this Covid-19 pandemic, with predictions that we are in for a difficult winter, the NHS is at breaking point,” she said.

“Staff have worked night and day, in the most challenging circumstances protect us, and while the Prime Minister was prepared to clap them, he cut their pay, in real terms, and is now expecting them to pay the new Health and Social Care Levy.”

She said the situation was even more challenging in York as house prices continued to rise sharply.

“Now exhausted, people are leaving the NHS,” she said. “Having failed over the last decade to train a new generation of NHS staff to meet the demands of our time, means that there is no end in sight as it takes years to train a nurse.

“If staff are stretched further to cover these vacancies, work extra shifts or have twice as much to do in the time available, they will simply burn out and leave. I will be raising these staffing shortages in Parliament to call on Government to support our NHS staff before things get worse.”