Contingency plans are in place should nurses and other NHS staff go on strike, the Welsh Government has confirmed. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is expected to announce later this week that its members have voted to walk out over pay.
Health workers in other unions, including ambulance staff, hospital porters and cleaners, are also voting on industrial action. Unison and the GMB are set to announce ballot results later this month, while physiotherapists and midwives will start voting soon.
NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts were told earlier this year that they would receive a £1,400 pay rise - a decision described as "pitiful and insulting". Helen Whyley, director of RCN Wales, sent a letter to Welsh Government Health Minister Eluned Morgan explaining that she is "ready and waiting" to open discussions on an improved pay offer.
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"As we head into winter, we know that the situation within NHS Wales is deeply concerning with risks to patients from insufficient nursing staff and a struggling exhausted workforce," said Ms Whyley. "The RCN believes that the public deserves better and the way to retain and attract nursing staff is to reward them appropriately for their knowledge, skills, and commitment. This must start with an above-inflation pay rise.
"RCN Wales believes strike action is a last resort but one that has been reached due to the Welsh Government's continual denial and inaction on addressing the issues facing nursing staff which are comprising patient care. NHS Wales spent £133.4m on nursing and midwifery agencies in 2021/2022, this was an increase of 41% compared to the previous year. This over reliance on agency nursing is a stark fact that demonstrates how this government must act immediately to attract and retain nurses."
She added: "In my letter, I have urged the Health Minister to consider her responsibilities for the nursing workforce in NHS Wales. A recent YouGov Poll in Wales showed that 85% of the public support a pay rise for nurses – all those people are potential NHS Wales patients.
"The Welsh Government must find local solutions to the problems that impact the people of Wales and find ways to protect our NHS services. RCN Wales is ready and waiting to open discussions with the Minister if she has a genuine commitment to improving the current pay award."
According to RCN Wales there are currently 3,000 registered nurse vacancies in NHS Wales, up from 1,719 in 2021.
When asked whether contingency plans were in place in the event of strike action, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: "Planning has been taking place within the NHS since the RCN ballot was announced. We will work with NHS organisations and health boards on their contingency plans."
The UK Government Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden said that in the event of industrial action in England, the NHS would prioritise the most essential services - although he acknowledged that it would have an impact on other activity.
"We have well-oiled contingencies in place and the Department of Health is across how we would deal with a scenario like this should it arise," he told Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme. "We will make sure we prioritise the most essential services - emergency services and so on. But of course there would be an impact as a result of a strike like that.
"I would continue to urge nurses and others to resist going out on strike even if they have voted to do so. We have already agreed quite considerable support for nurses. Of course, if you are in the situation where you have a large number of nurses going out on strike, of course that is going to have an impact for example on some elective surgery and other activities."
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