WALES' nursing leader has hailed the passing of the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Bill as an "historic" step in improving patient care, as health boards continue efforts to recruit registered staff.

The Bill passed the final stage of its journey through the Assembly on Wednesday evening, and is expected receive the Royal Assent, becoming law, in a matter of weeks.

Also known as the More Nurses Bill, and sponsored by Kirsty Williams AM, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, it will mean health boards must ensure that wards are adequately staffed with a 'safe' ratio of nurses to patients.

The Bill was passed a day after another increase in funding was announced for the training of nurses in Wales, as part of a £85 million healthcare training package.

Wales has become the first country in Europe to make safe staffing levels a legal requirement in health service settings, and it makes the current recruitment programmes among health boards in Wales even more important.

In Gwent, as well as employing more nurses locally, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has brought in more than 100 nurses from Europe since last summer in an ongoing recruitment drive that is set to expand to the Philippines.

A year ago the health board announced it had more than 230 vacancies for registered nurses, and its agency nursing bill this year has already topped the £6.5m it spent last year.

Health boards have been keeping an eye on the progress of the Bill, and it is likely that workforce projections in terms of nursing staff will have been made with its implementation in mind.

Tina Donnelly, director of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Wales praised its members for their role in supporting the Bill, which included lobbying AMs

“This law will protect patients in Wales and will empower registered nurses to positively influence staffing decisions in our hospitals," said Ms Donnelly.

"This is a truly historic step to improving patient care in the UK and we are very proud that the National Assembly for Wales has led the way on this issue.”

“The RCN believes that governments across the United Kingdom can really learn from this approach to safeguarding patient care."

Ms Williams said the logic behind the Bill is simple.

"More nurses on our wards means each nurse can spend more time with each patient, ensuring better care as a result," she said.

"More staff nurses means health boards won't have to fork out for expensive agency nurses, saving our NHS money in the long run."