The NHS trusts under most pressure amid staff shortages and rising Covid cases

Health bosses have already been forced to cancel non-urgent operations in some hospitals

Ambulances outside Royal London Hospital
Ambulances outside Royal London Hospital
(Image credit: Daniel Leal/ AFP)

At least 24 NHS trusts across England have declared critical incidents due to staff shortages and rising Covid admissions as a government minister admitted the NHS was coming under “very real pressures”.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps defended the government’s decision not to go further than Plan B restrictions for England despite the difficulties being faced by the NHS and suggested new rules were not needed to improve the situation.

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