THE arrival of Filipino and Indian nurses at the Royal Bolton Hospital may ease the pressure on the hospital, but it is not so beneficial for patients.

With more than 100 nursing vacancies over 12 months ago, it is clear that many of those who have left will be experienced nurses who have moved to jobs in private hospitals, GPs' practices, or in other fields with better pay and conditions.

Bearing in mind the high cost of sending a recruitment team to India, bringing the recruits here, administering examinations, finding them homes and helping them to adapt to a Western lifestyle, it would seem that a more sensible, long term, economic solution would be to pay our nurses more to encourage the experienced ones to come back to the hospital.

It has been apparent for a long time to observant patients and visitors that there has been a dilution of experience on the wards, evidenced by the actions and instructions to patients by some of the nurses.

There is now an even greater need for proper supervision on the wards at all times by a person, be it a manager/sister/matron, who is clearly identifiable to patients and visitors. Under the present system, if the ward manager/sister (identified by a navy blue dress) is absent, or off duty, it is not clear who is in charge.

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