MPs warn that additional $ 20 billion a year will be needed

Staff shortages of around 100,000 people will prevent the NHS from implementing its long-term plan, MPs warned.

Officials have been accused of "painting a too positive picture" of the financial viability of health services while minimizing future challenges.

According to a report from the Public Accounts Committee, the situation will quickly reach its crisis point if the NHS continues to lose staff and does not attract enough foreign workers.

There are currently around 100,000 vacant posts in the NHS, which represents "a major obstacle to [its] financial viability & # 39; According to the report, expect retention rates to improve or more staff coming from abroad to be a "risky strategy", as the UK's exit from the EU may make matters worse.

"The long-term settlement of NHS funding and the NHS long-term plan offers an opportunity to restore the stability of the health system," the report says. "However, with around 100,000 vacancies, the NHS will not consider the plan unless staff shortages are addressed."

The NHS long-term plan was released in January after the government committed to providing an additional 20.5 billion pounds of funding annually by 2023-2024.

The NHS has almost balanced its budget in 2017-18, with the NHS England, groups of trusts and clinical commissions reporting a combined deficit of £ 21 million, the committee said.

However, the report warned that the optimistic situation was hiding the warning signs of a deterioration in the NHS's financial health, with an increase in loans to support troubled trusts, waiting lists for more in longer and reduced waiting times.

A lack of clarity on the funding of adult social care was also highlighted.

Meg Hillier, chairman of the Labor Committee, said: "The voices of the front lines were loud and clear in our last review of the sustainability of the NHS. As a managing director of a fiduciary hospital said, "Staffing is the biggest challenge we face … it is one of the biggest threats to the financial sustainability of the NHS."

"The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and the NHS organizations need to take these voices and act now." A report from the February Health Foundation think tank revealed that NHS staff were leaving numbers in record numbers due to burnout.

Between June 2010 and June 2011, 3,689 employees cited a work-life imbalance to justify leaving the NHS in England. For the year prior to June 2018, 10,257 staff members gave the same reason for dropping out, an increase of 178%.

The number of nurses leaving for hours at the NHS has tripled over this seven-year period. The current shortage of about 100,000 vacancies accounts for almost one in 11 jobs in the health services.

An NHS Improvement spokesperson said: "The NHS has reduced the number of job vacancies and the number of deficit trusts over the past year.

"We build on these achievements with our Human Resources Management Plan, which will show how we are going to provide a 21st century NSS to our growing and aging population by increasing the number of doctors and nurses, as well as providing This month's additional fund trusts support so that each hospital regains its financial equilibrium in the next five years. "