Responding to the latest sickness absence figures, published by NHS England and Improvement, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

"The number of staff absent through sickness or self-isolation has increased by 25% since last month, with nearly 17,000 more people off per day than in early October.

"Of these, 38% are due to COVID related sickness or self-isolation, significantly more than we saw last month.

"Coming at a time when the NHS is under such pressure, with severe workforce shortages, these absences add significantly to the challenges that trusts face.

"This week we welcomed the announcement of testing for all patient facing NHS staff which can help to avoid unnecessary staff absences and help reduce the spread of the virus.

"However we must be realistic that this is be an enormous logistical challenge for which trusts have not had much time to prepare. There are still many barriers to overcome before we anticipate seeing these figures greatly reduce."