Good news from Cardiff tonight as Kirsty Williams’ Bill to ensure appropriate numbers of nurses in Welsh hospitals cleared its penultimate parliamentary hurdle. The Bill would see Wales become the first country in the UK with a legal duty to have safe nurse staffing levels on hospital wards.

The final stage will take place next week.

Kirsty can deliver her Leader’s speech to Welsh Conference on Saturday knowing that she is only the second AM to have got a Private Bill to this stage. The first was her Liberal Democrat colleague Peter Black with his Mobile Homes Bill.

Over 4,500 members of the public have signed petitions in support of the bill which, if it passes stage 4 next week, could receive royal assent in March.

Kirsty said:

It is over two years since my name came out of the hat, so I am absolutely delighted it has gotten this far.

The aim of my bill is incredibly straight forward, to ensure that nurses are deployed in the Welsh NHS in sufficient numbers to enable safe nursing care to patients at all times and to improve working conditions for nursing and other staff. The evidence shows that when legislation like this is introduced, outcomes for patients improves and lives are saved.

We have seen in England that guidance on nursing levels following the Mid Staffs scandal is being quietly dropped to make savings, that is why it is so important we have nurse staffing written into. Patient safety should be paramount and should not be at the whim of NHS finance directors.

I have received a huge amount of support from organisations like the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) but I could not have gotten this far without the support of members of the public. I am convinced it was that public support that changed the Labour Government’s mind to support it.