Nurses ‘believe NHS waiting times are falsified’

A new poll has found that 40 per cent of nurses working for the NHS believe that waiting time figures are fiddled to meet the current target of four hours.

The research, carried out by the Nursing Times, also showed that respondents believe some patients are admitted to wards unnecessarily in order to meet these goals, which apply to accident and emergency admissions.

Overall, 72 per cent of hospital nurses and 77 per cent of community nurses say that those in the industry are under increased pressure compared to the same time in 2008.

A Department of Health spokesperson stated that it is “unacceptable” for the level of care offered by the NHS to be compromised by targets.

They continued: “Any substantiated case of mis-reporting or manipulation is a very serious issue. We expect accusations to be investigated fully and dealt with promptly.”

This news follows a report published by Dr Steve Boorman this week, suggesting that NHS employees are subjected to health checks in order to curb staff absences within the service, the Press Association reported.