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A Bill which ensures there are a "safe" number of nurses on duty at all times has been passed by Assembly Members.

The More Nurses Bill, also known as the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Bill , passed Stage 4 and will now receive royal assent in March.

Wales will become the first part of Europe with a legal duty to have sufficient nurse staffing levels on hospital wards.

Private Members Bill

The Private Members Bill was created by Welsh Liberal Democrats Leader Kirsty Williams after she was drawn out of a ballot to introduce her own law in December 2013.

Read more:Number of nurse training places in Wales to increase by 10% in 2016/17

In the history of the Assembly only one other Private Members Bill has made it all the way into law.

She said the Bill being passed shows the ambition of the Welsh Liberal Democrats in Wales.

'Small but fundamental change'

Kirsty Williams AM said: “This small but fundamental change in the way we staff our wards with nurses will undoubtedly save lives.

“The logic is simple: more nurses on our wards means each nurse can spend more time with each patient, ensuring better care as a result.

“More staff nurses means health boards won’t have to fork out for expensive agency nurses, saving our NHS money in the long-run.”

The Bill was also heavily backed by the Royal College of Nursing in Wales and its director Tina Donnelly who described the measure as a “historic step in improving patient care”.