Patients in hospitals with fewer nurses are up to forty per cent more likely to die than on fully-staffed wards
Experts have warned that the lack of nurses in our hospitals could be linked to thousands of deaths
Patients are much more likely to die if there are too few nurses on NHS wards, a major study reveals.
An average UK nurse is in charge of just over eight people, researchers claim.
But for each extra sick Brit under their care the risk of patients dying increase by seven per cent.
It means those stuck on understaffed wards have far lower chances of survival.
The NHS in England has more than 40,000 nursing posts empty, unions claim.
Experts warn shortages could be responsible for thousands of needless deaths.
The research, published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies, looked at more than 420,000 patients recovering from common surgery, such as hip and knee replacements.
Data included care given at 31 major NHS trusts.
Lead researcher Dr Jane Ball, from the University of Southampton, said the best English hospitals had five patients per nurse.
But the worst had 11 patients per nurse – putting them at 42 per cent greater risk of dying.
Dr Ball said: “These results give the clearest indication yet that registered nurse staffing levels are not just associated with patient mortality, but that the relationship may be causal.
“If there are not enough registered nurses on hospital wards, necessary care is left undone, and people’s lives are put at risk.”
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The study also found the more jobs left undone by rushed nurses, the greater the risk of patients dying.
If they failed to do 10 per cent of their daily tasks, mortality rates went up by 16 per cent.
Dr Ball said: “This proves that care left undone means patients are more likely to die needlessly.”
Previous research found nine in 10 nurses claimed they left some tasks unfinished at the end of their shift.
Janet Davies, head of the Royal College of Nursing, warned the NHS is facing a workforce crisis.
She said: “Hospitals across the country do not have enough nurses.
“This research puts beyond doubt that patients pay the very highest price when the Government permits nursing on the cheap.
“Ministers cannot ignore further evidence that the lack of registered nurses leads to people left in pain for longer and a higher risk of not recovering at all.”
A Department of Health spokersman said: “We expect all parts of the NHS to make sure they have the right staff, in the right place, at the right time in order to provide safe care.
“This is why there are over 31,100 more clinical staff since May 2010 – including 11,983 more nurses on our wards – and we have recently announced further funding to train an additional 10,000 nurses, midwives and allied health professionals.”