Fears over NHS planned care amid Covid staff shortages and delays

A trust in the North of England has advised staff riding in cars together to keep masks on

(AFP via Getty Images)

Planned surgeries are at risk amid stubborn rates of people stuck in hospital and increasing Covid staff sickness levels, The Independent has been told.

Staff absences are increasing across hospitals in England, senior NHS sources have warned, as they fear planned surgeries will be put at risk in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the NHS continues to struggle with high levels of patients needing to be discharged as one trust warns a recent increase in patients being delayed in hospital is set to hit their plans to recover their surgical backlog.