THE Alexandra Hospital is to recruit Filipino nurses ready for the busy winter period.

This week, the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, has sent a senior nurse to the Philippines, to recruit some of the surplus nurses the country produces.

Filipino nurses are trained to the same high standards as British nurses and also speak English, making them ideal for recruitment to the NHS, and solving the shortfall in availability of British nurses.

About 30 nurses have already signed up to move to Worcestershire, where they will be accommodated by the trust.

A trust spokesman said: "Filipino nurses are trained to the same high standard and use the same practices as British nurses and there's no problems with language.

"We won't be pinching nurses from the Philippines' health system, but recruiting some of the surplus nurses there."

"A lot of the nurses are anxious to experience working in the NHS and they will be employed on a long-term contract."

Last week the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust announced that nearly 50 appointments had been made following a recruitment drive.