Updated 3.06pm with reaction

An Irish healthcare recruitment agency has abandoned its plan to recruit hundreds of nurses working in Malta after the government intervened, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced on Friday. 

Times of Malta recently revealed recruitment agency Servisource had 310 vacancies to fill in Ireland and planned to come to Malta in October in an attempt to fill the positions by hiring nurses working here.

But in comments on Friday, Fearne said that following an intervention by the government, together with the Irish Ambassador, the agency had decided to abandon its plan and the recruitment drive would not be taking place. 

Fearne did not say whether the government had entered into some form of agreement with the agency or whether any form of compensation had been offered to the company. 

"The agency has stopped campaigning and we have been assured that it will not be recruiting nurses from Malta," Fearne said.

Natalie Briffa Farrugia, chair of the care home operators section of the Malta Chamber reacted "with relief" to the development.

"We look forward to working with government to further address the shortage of nurses by incentivising locals entering or returning to this profession, as well as improving our attractiveness to nurses from other countries," she said. 

Malta's health system has been plagued with a nurse shortage for years, an issue that has been exacerbated by poaching from abroad. The number of those leaving the profession never matches those joining, resulting in widespread shortages across the health system.

It is estimated that an additional 400 nurses are needed. 

On Thursday, Fearne announced that 111 new nurses had started working within Malta's health system after graduating earlier this year.