Army medical staff plug shortages in accident and emergency department at Stafford Hospital

Army doctors and nurses have been brought in temporarily to plug staff shortages threatening safety at Stafford Hospital, in what is thought to be the first such instance in the NHS in England.

Two emergency doctors and four nurses from the Defence Medical Services have been drafted into the hospital’s accident and emergency department, which has only four of its complement of six consultants.

A national shortage of accident and emergency consultants and bad publicity arising …