RCN Wales responds to Welsh Government NHS pay meeting 

Responding to talks with Welsh Government today, RCN Wales Director, Helen Whyley, said:

“RCN Wales attended a meeting today with the Minister for Health and Social Services, at the Minister’s request. While we were told it would explore ways of coming to a negotiated agreement on the 2022/23 NHS pay award, we are still no further forward.

“Yet again, the Welsh Government has blamed the UK Government’s lack of additional funding for public services rather than taking responsibility to invest in Welsh nurses delivering Welsh NHS services for Welsh people.

“Welsh Government continue to fail dismally to resolve the RCN’s pay dispute and to address the extensive and unsustainable nursing staffing crisis in the NHS. “The approach put forward today is simply not enough to offer a substantiative and restorative pay award to our members, which is what we have called for all along.

“From the perspective of nursing staff, the Welsh Government are not negotiating seriously on NHS pay. Unless they do so urgently, we will be announcing further strike days for Wales, imminently.”

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Notes to Editors

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interests of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.

For more information, please contact the RCN Wales Communications Hub on 02920680769 or communicationswales@rcn.org.uk