70 new nurses to be recruited at Walsall Manor

The move will help the hospital, which has suffered from rising numbers of patients, cope with the busy winter spell.

It comes despite recent news that 40 posts will be axed across the 3,600 health trust workforce as it battles to make £10.7m of savings.

Bosses had insisted they would continue to invest in staff in areas of need.

The proposals for up to 70 new staff will go before Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust Board tomorrow (THURS).

In a report to the trust, Kathryn Halford, interim director of nursing in Walsall, said: "The human resources and senior nursing team are working together on a plan to recruit up to 70 new registered nurses into the organisation ready for the winter period."

These are expected to come from recruitment fairs, a national initiative to get people back into nursing and a care to join us campaign run through social media.

The trust is also looking to work with universities to get people back on a practice course in later summer and early autumn.

She added: "There are costs associated with this and these are currently being identified as part of the overall recruitment process in preparing for winter."

An extra clinical support worker is also being put on busy wards as part of a trial which is due to run until late in September.

This is to add to apprentices which are also placed on the them in a bid to support staff. Wards which have been identified are 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17.

The hospital has already highlighted the need to cut agency, bank and locum workers.

Walsall Manor has been battling against rising numbers of admissions, especially from Staffordshire, and saw the bill the temporary bill hit £2m for a month last September.

In just a six month period last year there were 16,062 emergency admissions, against a planned target of around 14,723.

The health trust had been seeking £14m to expand and deal with an influx of patients. It was awarded £10m but bosses say they are in discussions about the allocation.