AN extra £1 million is to be spent on recruiting additional nurses at two Wirral hospitals over the next 12 months.

The cash will be ploughed into boosting frontline staff numbers at Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge hospitals.

The announcement was made on International Nurses Day today, Tuesday.

Gaynor Westray, deputy chief nurse for the Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – which runs the two hospitals - said: “I am immensely proud of the efforts our nurses go to all year round. International Nurses Day is our chance to share our achievements, celebrate our successes and set out our plans for the future.

“This latest announcement means we will be spending an extra £2.5million on nursing as we invested over £1.5million last year.

“This investment represents our recognition of the crucial role nursing staff play in delivering safe, quality care and the best possible patient experience.”

As well as recruiting additional nurses, the trust has also committed to focus on nurturing its existing staff to further develop their nursing skills.

It says this combination of additional nurses and increasing skill levels will ensure the hospitals are able to meet the demands of modern healthcare, delivered with traditional nursing values of compassion and care.

Naomi Holder, associate director of nursing at Arrowe Park Hospital, said: “There is a real sense of community among our nurses, who not only provide excellent patient care but also support each other so that we can develop both as individuals and as a team.

“We have a fantastic reputation for nurturing our nursing staff and we are repaid by these dedicated individuals every day when they go above and beyond to deliver high quality care for our patients.”

Mrs Westray added: “With this investment we will now be able to bring in additional nurses who can offer skills that will be of benefit to our current teams.”