Nurses are being given Visa cards to pay for improvements to their wards.

Every ward sister or charge nurse working for Brighton Health Care NHS Trust will be issued with a card next month.

Each card will have a limit of £2,500 which will be used to buy supplies and equipment for patients and staff.

The scheme is part of a three month pilot project which aims to cut through bureacracy and red tape for smaller items and equipment.

The money can be used for anything except staff pay costs or training.

Areas covered can range from minor repairs and redecoration to extra flowers and magazines for patients.

The card, which is run by NatWest bank, can be used in the same way as a conventional Visa card but cannot be used to withdraw cash.

Trust director of finance Mike Stepney said: "The idea is to stop staff from having to fill out numerous forms and go through delays for what are generally basic items.

"We need to discover whether the nurses prefer this new scheme whether it works well for them, the patients and the trust as a whole.

"Ultimately we hope it will cut through red tape and help wards to run more efficiently and smoothly."

The trust is one of a handful in the country picked by the Government to try out the new card.

If successful the card's limit will be increased to £5,000 for the next financial year.