Coronavirus caused staff at Royal Bolton Hospital to miss more than 100 days of work last year, new figures show.

NHS data shows the equivalent of 82,542 full-time staff days were lost due to sickness at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust between March and December of last year.

However, only 155 were due of Covid-19 - meaning that the virus accounted for 0.19 per cent of staff absences.

Staff were absent for 46 days because of coronavirus in May, but were least impacted in October – losing only four days.

Dr David Wrigley, of the British Medical Association, said: “We know the NHS went into the pandemic woefully short on staff and these worrying figures highlight how Covid-19 has made a severe workforce shortage even more desperate."

According to the figures, more than half a million days were lost across England due to stress, anxiety, depression, or other psychiatric illnesses in December – the highest of any month since the pandemic started.

Dr Wrigley said the wellbeing of 'exhausted' NHS staff is paramount as they face the biggest backlog of care in history, or else he fears many will reduce their hours, retire early or leave the health service entirely.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it is investing £89 billion to support the 'record number' of NHS staff working in England, and to help address patient backlogs.

A spokesman added: "We recognise the enormous pressure this pandemic has put on our heroic NHS and we are funding dedicated mental health support, including a 24/7 helpline, to provide help to those who need it."