Fifty times as many NHS Tayside complaints as five years ago

The number of concerns raised by NHS Tayside workers over staffing levels is nearly 50 times higher than it was five years ago.

Since April 1 2010, there have been 1,011 concerns raised.

However, 562 of these came last year alone compared with just 21 in 2010/2011.

RCN senior professional officer for Tayside, Ros Shaw, said of the sharp increase: “The increase in reports of staffing shortages raises a number of questions. What has NHS Tayside done in response to the increase in concerns?”

An NHS Tayside spokesman said: “Patients and their families should be assured that all of our wards are staffed at safe levels and that patient care and safety is our primary concern.”