Covid-19 causing serious short-staffing in ICU and A&E with health service under greatest strain ever
Hospitals and ambulance services are struggling with a staff sickness rate two to three times higher than usual, as growing numbers of NHS workers fall ill or go into isolation amid a huge surge in Covid infections.
Absence rates in some hospitals are now between 8% and 12%, versus the health service’s normal level of 4%, just as the NHS comes under the greatest strain in its history.
