Evan Harris

A shortage of consultants in England's accident and emergency departments could be putting lives at risk, the Liberal Democrats have warned.

Health spokesman Evan Harris has highlighted figures obtained by the party which show that casualty wards lack sufficient senior doctors to meet recommended standards.

An average of 2.8 consultants work in each accident and emergency departments in England, Department of Health statistics indicated.

But the British Association of Accident and Emergency Medicine has suggested that "all departments should aim to have three or more consultants".

The Dorset and Somerset and the Shropshire and Staffordshire health authorities had the lowest averages of just of 1.4 consultants per department.

In West Yorkshire there was an average of 5.3 consultants.

Health ministers declined to give a breakdown by individual hospital, citing data protection fears that "individual doctors could be identified".

"The government is obsessed with political targets and fiddling the figures. But what really matters to patients is getting access to quality and safe care," said Harris.

"That means having enough senior doctors. Many casualty departments are struggling with a shortage of senior doctors, well below the ideal numbers.

"The senior doctors who are available are often forced to distort their priorities to meet political targets."

Harris warned that junior doctors were working without supervision and consultants were over-stretched.

"In some areas, the level of cover endangers patients' lives. The government must increase the number of trainees now in order to boost senior doctor levels in the future," he added.