Millions of euros allocated by the previous government to boost staffing levels for care of the elderly was actually spent on managers, management training courses and software, the AD reported at the weekend.

The last cabinet put an extra €370m into increasing the number of ‘hands on beds’ but research by the FNV trade union indicates no reduction in the pressure of front-line work, the AD said.

Some 70% of the 1,800 nursing staff questioned said they had not seen any increase in staffing levels last year. And 75% said they had been told by bosses that further economies needed to be made.

MPs have called on junior health minister Martin van Rijn to investigate.