ANEURIN Bevan Health Board will get an extra £1.9 million to fund nurses as part of £10 million being spent across Wales.

Health minister Mark Drakeford has announced the extra cash for health boards in Wales to recruit more hospital nurses.

Prof Drakeford made the announcement during a debate in the National Assembly on the Welsh Government’s response to the Francis report of the scadanl at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust.

He said: “Safe and compassionate care clearly can’t be produced simply by systems and measurements. It depends, fundamentally, on people.

"Staff are the greatest resource of the NHS and the staffing we need for the future has to match changing patterns of need.

"I recognise that meeting these new requirements of the post-Francis world comes at a cost. I am therefore very pleased to announce today that an additional £10 million will be provided in the current financial year, to allow Health Boards to accelerate their plans to secure acute medical and surgical ward nurses.”

The cash is expected to fund around 290 posts.

Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board is getting £1.8 million, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is getting £2.2 million, £1.4 million will go to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, £1.1 million to Cwm Taf Health Board, £1.3 million to Hywel Dda Health Board and £0.4 million to Powys Teaching Health Board.