A study has linked nurse shortages to worse outcomes for surgical patients.

Research by the University of Southampton, published in the British Journal of Surgery, found that lower than normal levels of nurse cover lead to higher mortality rates and longer hospital stays.

The study, which analysed data from more than 200,000 hospital admissions across four NHS Trusts from April 2015 to February 2020, revealed that each day of low registered nurse numbers increased the risk of mortality by 9.2 per cent.

Similarly, low levels of nursing assistants increased the risk by 10.3 per cent.

The study also highlighted a 4.8 per cent increase in deep vein thrombosis, a 5.7 per cent increase in pneumonia, and a 6.4 per cent increase in pressure ulcers due to registered nurse shortages.

Understaffing also raised the risk of hospital readmission by 2.3 per cent for nurse shortages and 1.4 per cent for nursing assistants.

With more than 300 million surgeries performed each year worldwide, concerns have been raised about the quality of care for adult surgical patients and the rising cost of avoidable complications, extended hospital stays, and readmissions.

While 55 per cent of surgical site infections are preventable, safety interventions have traditionally focused on implementing checklists, staff training, and improving teamwork.

The researchers argue that staff shortages alone may be a significant cause of infections and other adverse outcomes post-surgery.

They hope the study will inform policymakers about the risks of understaffing and how to address these issues effectively.

Dr Paul Meredith, senior research fellow in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Southampton: "The safety of patients undergoing surgery is paramount and there is rightly a considerable emphasis on appropriate systems, policies, and procedures.

"Our research is a timely reminder that workload is also a major driver of risk and that risks to surgical patients persist beyond the immediate operative period.

"Adequate nurse staffing on wards is vital to ensure the safety of patients undergoing and recovering from surgery."