A KNUTSFORD nursing agency is so short staffed it is upping its wages by 25%.

From October, its registered nurses will earn £10 an hour - instead of £8 - to stem the growing national crisis in the profession.

"The crisis was predicted to reach its peak next year but we would say it's already here," said Anne Sheldon, nursing manager of Professional Care Services.

"We're not waiting for next year."

Staff at the Toft Road agency say they could employ FOUR times more nurses than they have on their books.

"Everyone has serious recruitment problems," said Mrs Sheldon.

"So we're offering much higher rates to attract the staff.

"The number of nurses that have been recruited is low and also the suggestion is that a number of people are disillusioned with the profession."

Mrs Sheldon said the nationwide problem was compounded by the large number of nurses approaching retirement. In rural places like Knutsford the situation is even worse because many appointments are inaccessible to many city-based staff.

The company, which currently has 100 nurses on its books, supplies nurses to hospitals and care homes and demand for temporary agency nurses is at an all-time high.

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