I know that sequels have a reputation of not being as good as the first, but in this sequel to my first ever blog post, I’ll try to differ from the norm. I’ve been busier with the RCN than ever before – here’s a snapshot of the highlights.

Congress 2026

I had a very productive four days at RCN Congress. I met with Nicola Williams our (new at the time) Executive Director of RCN Wales, who attended our 25th RCN NSW membership category anniversary celebrations. We had a constructive conversation, with Nicola expressing a desire to work with me to pick up any issues and needs of our members moving forward. This manifested into me being invited to attend a slot at the RCN Wales Management Team meeting where we discussed all things NSW related. It was great to be invited into such an arena and demonstrates that our member group is taken seriously and truly valued.

At Congress, I was also able to introduce myself to Jackie Davies, Chair of RCN Wales Board, which gave me the opportunity to discuss the plans for a NSW member on the board. As a NSW Committee rep, I’m unable to also sit on the board, but I wanted to offer my support in finding someone from our membership group who can the opportunity. Could it be you?

As the NSW Committee member for Wales, I took to the podium during a debate on bank pay rates. The proposal called for all bank shifts to be paid at an employee’s substantive rate, but I highlighted that this conflicts with Agenda for Change policy. NHS Bank is intended for staff on zero-hours contracts or part-time staff working fewer than 37.5 hours a week who want to increase their hours. Employees working beyond full-time hours should be paid overtime rates (time and a half, or double time on bank holidays). As a result, only part-time staff should carry their substantive rate into bank shifts. This national policy cannot be overridden locally. It is important that members understand the value of their time and ensure they receive the pay they are entitled to.

Learn more about NHS conditions of employment.

See the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook (part 2, section 3).

NSW Committee promotion

Congress also provided an opportunity for me to meet members and encourage them to nominate themselves for election to the RCN NSW Committee. Although the seats in question weren’t directly relevant to members in Wales, it’s always helpful to have a full and active committee as it gives the NSW membership at a UK level a louder voice within the RCN, so it was worth investing time for this.

In July, I hosted a webinar for those members interested in nominating themselves for the vacant seats. I had support from Sandra Jane Stock, the Eastern region NSW rep, as well as from the RCN’s very helpful governance team.

Feedback from attendees was positive and the webinar resulted in nominations for each of the vacant seats on the committee. This means that from January 2027 we should have a full committee – something that’s not yet been realised during my time on the committee! It also means that the UK NSW membership will have full representation and therefore the loudest collective voice it’s had for some time.

Care Home Open Week and Learning Disability Awareness Week

During Care Home Open Week in June, I joined Majella Kavanagh, RCN Wales Independent Sector and Community Adviser, on visits to care homes in north Wales. It was a great opportunity for me to link in with our members who work in the private sector and to see some of the fantastic work that our care home staff do for the people in their care.

Read Majella’s Care Home Open Week blog.

It was also Learning Disability Awareness Week, and I visited Ysbyty Gwynedd and watched Côr Dwylo Môn, a unique Makaton sign-song choir from Ynys Môn (Anglesey), which features members with learning disabilities who perform by singing and signing. After the performance, they raised the learning disability awareness flag at the front of the hospital.

Since the two awareness weeks occur simultaneously, Majella and I discussed the possibility of including some learning disability services in Care Home Open Week next year – watch this space!

RCN Wales Nurse of the Year

I had the pleasure of shortlisting for the 2026 RCN Wales Nurse of the Year Awards Health Care Support Workers (HCSW) award category and very much enjoyed reading through all the nominations and learning about all the fabulous work our NSW members do for the people they provide care and support to (no spoilers here: you’ll have to wait until 19 November to find out who the finalists are!)

Nursing Support Workers’ Day Conference

Work has started on this year’s NSW conference, which will take place on Nursing Support Workers’ Day (23 November). The NSW Committee will host a conference in-person at RCN HQ in London and online. This year, we’ll be taking the opportunity to celebrate 25 years of nursing support workers in RCN membership.

Book your place on RCN Nursing Support Workers' Day Conference 2026: Shining a light.

Thank you for reading. Keep up the great work you do, day in day out.