Government commits more staff and beds for NHS this winter

The government has announced that thousands of extra beds and additional NHS staff will be funded by the Department of Health this winter.

Details have been announced of the measures that will be taken using the 250 million pounds allocated earlier this year to support the most under-pressure NHS trusts during what is expected to be an extremely busy winter period.

The equivalent of nearly 3,000 extra staff will be brought in through a combination of temporary hires, extended hours for existing workers and new positions, with money being distributed around 53 areas.

This comes after an extra 150 million pounds in funding was recently announced by NHS England to help reduce pressures on accident and emergency departments.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "We’re backing our hardworking NHS staff with the extra doctors, nurses and beds they need to make sure patients get the excellent care they expect, no matter what season it is."

The British Medical Association voiced scepticism over the impact of these plans, suggesting the government is simply moving money from one NHS department to another, while calling for a more substantial long-term investment in jobs and services.