HOSPITAL patients are to be treated by a new group of Filipino nurses drafted in to solve Bolton's nursing crisis.

An extra nine recruits have flown over from the Philippines -- leaving just 25 nursing posts currently unfilled at the Royal Bolton Hospital, 100 fewer than a year ago.

Each new nurse has sat a stringent language test to make sure he or she can understand written and spoken English.

Nursing chiefs say many of the nurses have learned English and understand the Bolton dialect without any difficulties.

The eight female and one male nurse are part of a third wave of nurses brought in from outside Britain. They start work on Thursday, when the Royal Bolton Hospital will have a total of 47 Filipinos on its pay roll.

The first group of Filipino recruits arrived in Bolton 12 months ago, with the second arriving six months later -- filling vacancies which have been empty for more than two years.

Aasha Bhatia, recruitment and retention officer at the Royal Bolton Hospital, said: "This time last year, we had more than 100 nursing vacancies.

"We are still looking for many home-grown nurses, but the Filipinos have helped ease the pressure since the winter months we have ahead of us can be a difficult time for recruitment and retention."

The new recruits will be in Bolton for two years.

Ms Bhatia said: "It's amazing how well they have settled in. We laugh at how they use our local phrases without noticing and many are hoping to settle here and make Bolton their home."

In summer, the marriage of two of the recruits, Ann-Margarett Rodero and Harri Jadraque, made the headlines as they tied the knot in Mere Hall register office.

Ms Bhatia said: "The support that all of the nurses have had is absolutely unbelievable.

"The patients themselves have been full of praise. The elderly in particular have been asking for them. They say they always have a smile and are very friendly."

Bolton is not expected to have doctors from abroad joining the town's hospital, although the Government is drawing up plans to swell the numbers of other health professionals in Britain, which will include sort-after radiographers.

Ms Bhatia added: "There is a national shortage and the recruitment of these health professionals is being left to the Government because the process is more complex. We have not yet heard if any are coming to Bolton."