Nurses in Wales are choosing agency nursing for better pay and work life balance, RCN Wales report shows

Today, RCN Wales launches a report ‘Agency Nursing’, looking at why nurses in Wales chose agency nursing.

With better pay, more flexibility over hours and location, support with revalidation and access to training, and less requirement to respond to managerial pressures, agency nursing has become a popular alternative to being directly employed by the NHS. But agency nursing is costing NHS Wales a lot of money that would be better placed elsewhere – such as nurses’ salaries.

In 2021/2022 NHS Wales spent £140 million on agency nursing. This would pay the salaries of 5,167 full-time nurses

RCN Wales are calling on the Welsh Government to increase nursing pay, give nurses more flexibility over their hours and work location and improve access to continued professional development (CPD) and funded education courses to make working for the NHS a more attractive career choice.

Sandy Harding, Associate Director of Nursing (Professional Practice) said: “This paper outlines why agency nursing is becoming increasingly popular as an option for our members as an alternative to working for the NHS. Agency nursing can provide more flexibility in hours, better pay, greater choice over work location and support with professional development. Agency nursing is providing our nurses a better work life balance.”

"The NHS struggles without enough nurses. Last year the Welsh Labour Government spent £140 million employing agency nurses to work in the NHS. That’s money that could have been spent on giving nursing staff in the NHS a fair and meaningful pay rise”

The Welsh Labour Government needs to step up and be as good an employer as the nursing agencies. Wales First Minister, Mark Drakeford should pay NHS nursing staff what they deserve, provide better access to flexible working, and provide nursing staff with opportunities to advance their careers”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The Agency Nursing paper is now downloadable here.

For more information, please contact the RCN Wales Communications Hub on 02920680769.