Private medical cover to see uptake after warning that NHS 'care will suffer'?

More people could be tempted to take out private medical cover after it was warned that reducing staffing levels in the NHS will see a reduction in the quality of care.

The government has called on the NHS to make £20 billion of efficiency savings over the coming years as well as undergo large-scale structural reform.

Writing for the Observer, Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, argued that these proposals will lead to significant staffing cuts and inevitably mean lower quality care.

He referred to recent cases where low staffing levels have been found to be a key factor in the loss of patients' lives, such as Stafford hospital, which saw up to 1,000 extra deaths as a result of poor management.

"The worry is that we have seen time and again what happens when staffing levels are slashed without thinking of the impact on patient care," Dr Carter wrote.

"Take some of the well-documented examples in recent times of disastrous failings that can occur in part through staffing deficits there is no doubt care will suffer."

Other leading medical figures have also criticised the government's plans, with British Medical Association chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum claiming the NHS will be "tested to the limit" byn the reforms.

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