MANCHESTER-based Abacus Care will become the main supplier of agency nurses to Fairfield General Hospital.

The Pennine Acute Trust, responsible for the hospital, said the move from relying on up to ten agencies would "raise standards".

Abacus will be supported by two secondary agencies Montagu Nurses and Celsian. The three will be complemented by the trust's own in-house agency. This "bank" fills around 70 per cent of the 5,000 shifts requiring cover each month.

Nicola Nicholls, the trust's associate director of nursing, said: "Focusing on a single agency as the major supplier will bring real benefits to patients and other staff. It will increase our success rate in attracting cover when required, but it will also make it easier for the agency to understand our requirements.

"We also anticipate that a long-term relationship could give us greater access to specialist nurses, who are very much in demand. In addition, we hope that it will generate financial savings, but the quality issue is very much the reason for this move."

She added: "Naturally we will continue to promote the bank, which gives us access to staff used to working with our systems, and saves us money."