The global concern over the universal need for more nurses to strengthen the healthcare workforce was highlighted this morning at the 20 th Conference for the Commonwealth Nurses Federation, held at the Radisson Hotel St. Julian's.

"Worldwide we are concerned about the number of nurses," Health Minister Joe Cassar said in his opening address.

There was worry about whether the country was able to recruit and retain enough high quality nurses across different services to improve standards of care, he said.

This was echoed by Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses president Paul Pace, who said nurses had to struggle with the shortage and all associations were working to safeguard the nurses' interests for the benefit of the patients.

Each country, he said, had to rely more and more on foreign nurses. It was the local union who had demanded to bring in foreign nurses to keep the workforce sustainable, he said.