FAMILY-friendly policies are needed to encourage nurses back into the profession, says a Bolton health chief.

Bolton, like hospitals everywhere, is having trouble recruiting lower grade nursing staff into vacant posts.

Barbara Peacock, chairman of Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "There are people out there who used to be nurses and it is up to us in the future to ensure that we have family-friendly policies in place to encourage them back into the profession.

"I do not see why we can't accommodate people who need to drop their children off at school. I think this is something we need to be looking at."

Director of Nursing John Pettigrew said it was important to ensure any move did not have an adverse impact on those already working.

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