Analysis by the Royal College of Nursing shows that than nine in 10 of England's 50 largest NHS hospital trusts are not staffed with nurses to the planned levels.
The analysis, based on data released on the NHS Choices website, also confirms hospitals are putting more unregistered support staff on shift to cope with the shortage of registered nurses.
This substitution is particularly prevalent on night shifts, when two-thirds of the largest hospital trusts put more health care assistants on the wards than planned.
These findings support the RCN's recent research highlighting 40,000 nurse vacancies across the NHS in England.
RCN chief executive Janet Davies said: “These startling figures show that, despite the Government’s rhetoric, our largest hospitals still do not have enough nurses and that is putting patients at risk.
“In light of this, the Government must redouble its efforts to train and recruit more qualified nurses and stop haemorrhaging the experienced ones who are fed up, undervalued and burning out fast.”
Davies added it was unreasonable to expect unregistered staff to fill staffing gaps.
“It is unfair on the healthcare assistants too – they should not be left in a situation they have not been trained to handle.
“Nurses have degrees and expert training and, to be blunt, the evidence shows patients stand a better chance of survival and recovery when there are more of them on the ward. Patients can pay the very highest price when the Government encourages ‘nursing on the cheap’.”
