NURSING leaders have welcomed a massive ward shake-up in Worcester's new hospital which they say will cut administration and boost time spent with patients.

Wyre Forest district councillor Jane Paterson, who is also spokeswoman for the Royal College of Nursing, said the steps planned for the PFI hospital were welcome.

Plans to bring nurses back to the bedside were revealed as health chiefs promised the same level of care for patients as they would expect for their families.

Thirteen matrons are to be appointed across the county, drug rounds scrapped, phone calls put straight through to patients and new teams set up to wheel patients to theatre.

Hand-written medical notes will be kept at the bedside, handovers carried out in front of patients, en-suite facilities built and extra hoists installed for patient mobility.

Mrs Paterson, former RCN convenor for Kidderminster Hospital, said: "They are all policies that the Royal College of Nursing would see no problem with.

"We would welcome the idea of specialist staff to take patients down to theatre, but as far as hand-written drug notes are concerned, they're not a new thing."

She added: "Where handovers take place, whether at the bedside or in an office, has long been at the discretion of ward sisters.

"We wouldn't see a problem as they were carried out with the correct protocol and respected patient confidentiality".

Ronkswood Hospital has come under fire after Wyre Forest MP Dr Richard Taylor revealed overworked nurses had to restrain a patient because they were too hard-pressed to deal with him.

Mrs Paterson said the new policies would ease the pressure.

"They will release nurses so they can carry out more patient care," she said.