SOUTHEND Hospital appointed 63 new nurses, latest figures show.

The new recruits joined the hospital in October ahead of an expected winter influx of patients.

Latest board papers show another 21 newly qualified nurses are considering offers.

The appointments are aimed at reducing a reliance on expensive agency staff.

Denise Townsend, Director of Nursing at Southend Hospital, said: “The vacancy rate at Southend University Hospital has decreased slightly due to a cohort of newly qualified nurses in October in addition to routine nurse recruitment from the UK and overseas.”

The Government recently announced a relaxation of the numbers of staff that can be recruited from non-EU countries in a bid to stem a national staff shortage.