Responding to the latest British Social Attitudes survey RCN Associate Director of Nursing (Employment Relations) Nicky Hughes, said:

“These figures should be a wake-up call for everyone responsible for the NHS in Wales. Public satisfaction here is not only low but is also falling behind the rest of the UK, and that should concern us all.”

“Patients are telling us they are struggling to access the care they need, whether that is seeing a GP, getting urgent treatment, or finding an NHS dentist. Behind every one of these statistics is a real person facing delays, uncertainty and too often, worsening health.
The public also clearly recognise what is driving this, a workforce that is overstretched and undervalued. You simply cannot deliver safe, timely care without enough nursing staff.”

“While there are small signs of improvement across the UK, people in Wales are not yet feeling the benefit. Confidence remains low and more people expect services to get worse, not better.”

“If we are serious about rebuilding trust and improving patient care, we must urgently invest in the nursing workforce. Without that, the gap between Wales and the rest of the UK will only continue to grow, and it is patients who will pay the price.”

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