A NEW law on the number of nurses in Welsh hospitals proposed by Kirsty Williams could be passed by the National Assembly next week.
The Welsh Liberal Democrat leader introduced a backbench bill in 2013 intended to set a minimum staffing levels on hospital wards.
The Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Bill, which the Brecon and Radnorshire member is calling the More Nurses Bill was due to be voted on by Assembly Members on Wednesday.
If passed it would see Wales become the first country in the UK to have a legal duty to have "safe" nurse staff levels on hospital wards.
Ms Williams said: "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."
The bill was originally intended to set minimum nursing levels on hospital wards and Ms Williams had earlier agreed to drop the word "safe" from the bill’s title to secure the Welsh Labour government’s support.
Ms Williams’ name was drawn out of a ballot for the chance to introduce her own law in December 2013. The only one other private member’s bill to make it into Welsh Law was the Mobile Homes Bill brought by Lib Dem Peter Black in 2013.
Ms Williams said more than 4,500 members of the public signed petitions in support of the bill, which if it wins the support of a majority of AMs could could receive royal assent in March.
"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."