TWO 'super nurses' have been appointed at the Royal Preston Hospital to help ease patients' time in accident and emergency (A&E) from start to end.

As nurse consultants Andrew Higgins and Karen Robinson will help A&E patients from the moment they are admitted until the time they are discharged or referred to a specialist.

The new nurses will work at both Preston and Chorley hospitals and will take up their new posts -- first mentioned by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998 -- on April 1.

Andrew, from Leyland, who has had 12 years experience at Royal Preston Hospital's A&E, said: "It is nice for the patient to see one person rather than several different people.

"It is about working in partnership with the patient to give better quality care.

"This will hopefully reduce people's complaints about waiting times and reduce people's aggression and violence towards us."

As well as Andrew's vast experience on A&E he also has a strong academic background with a Masters degree in clinical nursing.

Andrew said: "The next step for experienced staff is often management but in the majority of cases that takes you away from direct patient care.

"As a nurse consultant 50 per cent of the time is spent in clinical practice and the other half spent looking at research, education and development of colleagues.

"Therefore, nursing skills are retained."

Although the nurse consultants role is an extension of current nursing duties Andrew says they are there to compliment doctors and not replace them.

He said: "Our role will free doctors to go and see more seriously ill patients.

"People are still given an option about whether they want to see a doctor but very few people say no to us."

Two other nursing consultants are currently working in the areas of child health and critical care on both hospital sites.

As part of the 10 year NHS Nursing Plan there will be more than 1,000 nursing consultants appointed nationwide -- 500 have already been appointed.