RCN Wales welcomes call for full implementation of pay increase
Published: 24 March 2007
The Royal College of Nursing in Wales (RCN Wales) welcomes Plaid Cymru's Health Spokesperson Helen Mary Jones speech today in support of implementing the recommended pay increase of 2.5% in full for nurses. If elected in the Spring Welsh Assembly election, Helen Mary Jones promised to backdate the pay award for nurses to 1 April 2007.
In its election manifesto, Plaid Cymru also called for an increase in school nurses to
ensure that every child in Wales has access to a school health nurse.
Tina Donnelly, Director RCN Wales, said: “We have campaigned for more school health nurses to care for young people in Wales so we welcome Plaid's commitment. Furthermore, nurses are a mobile workforce and the RCN believes nurses throughout the UK nurses should receive the pay award in full as recommended by the Independent Review Body. As Scotland’s Health Minister Andy Kerr has already announced that nurses working in Scotland will receive the award in full, we are absolutely thrilled about Plaid Cymru’s promise today to nurses in Wales. We believe in equal pay for equal work. The RCN believes that the Welsh Assembly Government should commit to ensuring that nurses in Wales receive the pay award in full instead of staging it over an 8-month period. This would demonstrate to nurses working in Wales that health and patient care is the major priority.”