HOSPITAL bosses have this week jetted out more than 6,500 miles across the world in a bid to recruit more nurses.

The team from Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust is aiming to offer jobs to up to 50 nurses from the Philippines during its visit.

The move is part of a major recruitment campaign by the trust to fill a shortfall of nursing staff both at home and abroad.

Over the last year the trust has recruited more than 100 new members of staff from the Philippines and Europe.

About 75 so far have taken their Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) competency to practice exams, and all of them have passed.

The 100 per cent success rate so far compares to a nationwide average where nearly one in five overseas nurses fails to pass the mandatory test.

They are now already on the wards and the others will be taking their exams in due course.

Nearly 200 British nurses have also been offered posts after attending recent recruitment events run by the trust.

The trust, which runs hospitals in Worthing, Shoreham and Chichester, is hoping its recent outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission will help encourage more staff to join.

Director of nursing Amanda Parker said: “We are very proud to be rated as an outstanding organisation.

“It is an achievement that not only means our patients receive some of the best nursing care in the country, but also assures new colleagues that they will be cared for, supported, and listened to by a leading NHS trust committed to continuous improvement and developing its staff.”

Across the country, there is a significant shortfall of nurses, estimated to be around 20,000 vacancies and about 2,000 of these are in Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

Increased pressures and low pay have led to many nurses leaving the profession and not enough new recruits are coming through to fill gaps. Hospitals are also having to increase nurse numbers because of c h a n g e s b r o u g h t about fol- lowing the M i d Staffordshire hospital scandal and subsequent Francis Report.

The trust is recruiting in all departments and at all levels.

It has vacancies for 20 apprentices, with many more to launch in 2017, along with admin clerks, medical secretaries, pharmacists, therapists, eye surgeons and nurses across a range of specialities.

A recruitment day is taking place at Worthing Hospital on Saturday (oct 8).

For more details, visit westernsussexhospitals.nhs.uk.