Union leaders say they are now considering reporting Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust to the professional standards body for nursing.

And MP Greg Knight has called on Health Secretary Alan Johnson to intervene.

The nurse was in sole charge of the 30-bed Kent Ward over the bank holiday weekend and trade union Unite said there should have been seven staff on duty.

Mr Knight called it “shocking”.

Unite health spokesman Kevin Coyne said: “The nursing levels at Bridlington Hospital are critically low and we are extremely worried about the impact on the care of those on the wards.

“We believe it is death by a thousand cuts because the trust is intent on closing the wards in question.”

Campaigner Mick Pilling said morale among nursing staff was at an all-time low and accused the trust of caring more about “balancing the books”.

Iain McInnes, the chief executive of the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust, said the incident happened at the hospital’s Thornton Ward on May 3.

He said that a nurse reported sick “at very short notice”, leaving the ward with just one nurse for the late shift.

“Thornton Ward normally operates with two qualified staff as a minimum,” Mr McInnes said. “Immediate arrangements were made to cover the ward.

“However, following the additional cover being arranged, there was a period from 5pm to 8.15pm when the ward was covered by one of Thornton Ward’s own qualified nurses supported by additional qualified nurse cover from two other areas of the hospital.”

The nurses were supported by healthcare assistants and medical staff, he added.

“Patient safety was not compromised at any time during the course of the shift period,” Mr McInnes said.