THE county has found new nurses from far and wide – now it’s the turn of those close to home.

On Saturday, Wye Valley NHS Trust hosted one of its biggest recruitment events to tempt qualified nurses, leavers looking to come back and those wanting to re-gain registration.

Around 40 took up the offer of an Open Day as much open to what would be recruits could offer the trust as to what the trust can offer to them.

Successful candidates could be working on wards within weeks.

The event, hosted by Hereford County Hospital, had current nursing staff on hand to meet with wouldbe colleagues and provide tours of hospital wards.

Exhibition stands promoted nursing posts at Hereford County Hospital, Ross, Leominster, Bromyard and Hillside hospitals and district nursing.

Michelle Clarke, the trust’s director of nursing and quality said: “We are extremely pleased with the response to our open day, locally, from across the UK and further afield.

“We are exploring every available avenue to encourage nurses to come to work in our hospitals and community services,” she said.

In the last 12 months, despite the national shortage of qualified nurses, the trust has recruited more than 100.

Nursing staff scored well when the trust went into special measures.

But the trust needs to ease its reliance on agency and bank nurses and the cost they come at.

Recent statistics showed that the trust had nearly 270 posts – or around 10 per cent of the workforce – going through the recruitment process.