Glan Clwyd is one of the hospital seeking nurses

Among the first to arrive was a group employed by Llandough hospital near Cardiff.

Despite an increase in the number of student nurses recruited locally the north Wales health trusts say it will be three years before more qualified staff are available.

So the trusts have decided to turn to the Philippines to try to meet the shortfall.

There are around twelve experienced nurses available there for each nursing vacancy.

Many of them are American trained and all have degrees in nursing.

Adaptation courses

Wrexham Maelor is looking to fill up to sixty nursing vacancies, while Glan Clwyd is believed to have a shortfall of fifteen.

Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, meanwhile, hopes to recruit forty new staff.

The Filipino nurses will attend three month adaptation courses and will be offered three year contracts.

Seen by some health observers as a controversial step, the recruitment drive comes ahead of warnings of winter nursing shortages.

The RCN has estimated that up to 2,000 new nurses are needed if Welsh hospitals are to avoid a major crisis.