STOURBRIDGE MP Margot James gave praise in Parliament to a graduate trainee programme for nursing put in place by bosses at Russells Hall Hospital.

The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust has invested more than £3.1 million since last year's Keogh review to boost the number of nurses at the borough's main hospital.

And the investment was welcomed by Conservative MP Ms James during Parliamentary questions on October 21.

Dr Dan Poulter MP, of the Department of Health, also commended the Trust's programme for newly qualified nurses and praised Dudley Group bosses for recognising they were facing a short fall and addressing the problem.

Ms James said: "Front line staff at Russells Hall work incredibly hard, and I am very pleased the government is recognising these improvements."

Meanwhile the Dudley Group is holding a recruitment day on Saturday November 29 in a bid to take on around 40 new staff nurses and shift leaders to work in the emergency department, emergency assessment unit, short stay medical ward and in surgery, trauma and orthopaedics and elderly care.

Trust chief executive Paula Clarke said: "We’ve recently been investing in our nursing team and expanded our numbers with home-grown talent and some fabulous nurses from Europe. We are now opening our doors to tempt more nurses to come and join us."

Assessments will be held and candidates will be invited to be interviewed on the day which will offer potential employees chance to meet nursing teams and visit various departments in which they could be working.

Anyone wishing to attend the open day should register their interest online on NHS Jobs by searching for Dudley Nurse Recruitment or reference number 253-A-14-5699 and click on 'apply for this job' or for more information call recruitment manager Andrea Homer on 01384 456111, extension 4753.