The shortage of nurses in Britain is now so bad hospitals are having to go as far as the Far East to find staff to work on their wards.

The BBC's James Westhead on the new recruits

One of the largest recruitment drives bore fruit on Monday as a group of 120 nurses from the Philippines began arriving to work at three hospitals in Surrey.

The nursing register says one in four nurses are now recruited from abroad.

It has had to take on extra staff itself to process the increase in applications.

Philippines shortage

On Monday, the first of 20 new recruits arrived at Frimley Park hospital in Surrey from the Philippines.

Another 100 are expected over the coming months to work at three Surrey hospitals.

Hospitals in other parts of the south east have also recruited from the Philippines which has a surplus of qualified nurses and a big unemployment problem.

This is because they normally go to the US to work, but the US has enough this year.

All are qualified to degree level or above and have good English.

They were hired in the Far East by an international recruitment agency and NHS managers, who say they have exhausted traditional recruiting grounds like Australia and New Zealand.

More pay

After a six-month probation period, the nurses will earn three to four times what they could at home.

The filipino nurses are fully trained, but will need to be registered in the UK

Most are hoping for a more rewarding career from what they could obtain at home where basic medicine is sometimes in short supply.

A spokeswoman for Frimley Park hospital said it was the first time it had recruited from the Philippines.

It has tried recruiting at home for the last two years with limited success.

She added that the nurses could stay for two years, but might be able to extend their stay if the Home Office allowed.

For the first six months or so, they will be employed as care assistants, until they are officially recognised by the UKCC, nursing's regulatory body.

The spokeswoman admitted the solution was short-term, but said the nursing recruitment crisis was so bad the hospital had to act.

"There is the winter crisis coming up and we do need them. In the long-term we do not know what is going to happen," she said.

One of the nurses, Esther Salazar, says she is enjoying working at Frimley Park hospital.

"It is a nice place and a very friendly environment. People do not get stroppy and I have never experienced any bad manners over the phone or in person."

UK crisis

British nurses welcome the extra help, but the Royal College of Nursing says what is needed is more efforts to attract people in the UK into the profession.

There are around 5,000 overseas nurses working in the UK and there has been a 50% increase in numbers in the last two years.

The RCN wants more pay for nurses as well as more flexible working patterns.

The government has pledged to introduce family friendly working policies in the NHS and some pay rises for nurses at the top and bottom end of the scale.

However, it is unlikely to back the across-the-board increase for nurses that unions are seeking.

The nurses' pay review body is to report on its recommended levels in the New Year.

However, the British Nursing Association, the leading employment agency for nurses, says it believes the UK will never be able to train enough nurses to meet growing demands caused by Britain's ageing population.