Nursing staff warn Welsh government their pay system is broken in landmark consultation

The unprecedented level of engagement reflects growing frustration among nursing staff over pay, working conditions and the ongoing pressures facing the NHS in Wales. This is the first time so many members have participated in a consultative pay ballot, signalling a strong and united voice from the nursing workforce.

RCN Wales Executive Director Helen Whyley said: “Thank you to our members in Wales who turned out in record numbers to vote in our consultation on the latest NHS Wales pay award. They gave a clear message for the Welsh Government: 3.6% is not enough for nursing staff and they feel undervalued in ways that go far beyond an annual award.”

The RCN is demanding an overhaul of the NHS' outdated Agenda for Change pay structure – a scheme which has failed our members for over 20 years.  It offers low starting salaries, blocks career progression and ignores skills, experience and training. The nursing workforce in Wales has heard promises of reform before, but year after year nothing changes. Structural reform is endlessly kicked down the road and passed to England – even though the Welsh Government has the power to act.

Helen Whyley said: “Nursing staff deserve to be listened to. The commitments made in 2023 of pay restoration and reviewing career progression have become government rhetoric and made no impact on our members reality. Coupled with the cost-of-living crisis, and the moral injury many of our members face on a  daily basis when caring for patients in inappropriate environments you can clearly see that nursing pay reform is a patient safety issue that is in the government’s power to change".

Reforming nursing pay and career structures isn't just about fairness, but also about futureproofing the nursing profession. Nursing is a safety critical profession and as such, ensuring we’re retaining experienced nursing staff is a patient safety issue and key to the Welsh Government’s own vision for the NHS.

Helen Whyley said: “In under a year, all our members will go to the polls. They feel desperately undervalued by the current government. That will stay the case unless they unveil major reforms in the remaining months and not just election promises.”

We’ll now consider next steps in consultation with our members, which may include a ballot for industrial action should the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care not enter meaningful discussions with us.