Royal College of Nursing Wales responds to Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register mid-year update

Responding to the NMC mid-year update, RCN Wales Associate Director, Employment Relations, Nicky Hughes, said:

““The NMC register is growing nowhere near enough to meet patient demand. The figures from this NMC update do not include those nursing staff planning to leave due to high stress, poor pay and benefits. This is clearly a major risk for the quality and safety of patient care, as service demands are ever increasing particularly as we move into the winter period.

Whilst we welcome new nurses entering the register, we have to retain them and the fact that so many are leaving the profession is terrifying for patient care.

We currently have 3000 nurse vacancies in Wales, these won’t be filled if the profession doesn’t receive the fair pay that it deserves.

Nursing staff tell us these shortages are having an effect now more than ever on their ability to provide safe patient care and time really is running out to address these issues. With strike action due in the next few weeks, the Welsh Government need to significantly increase the 2022 pay award now, to boost the nursing workforce and to encourage people to both come into the profession and to stay.”

Ends

Notes to editors

The NMC data will be available here. Registration data reports - The Nursing and Midwifery Council (nmc.org.uk)

For more information, please contact the RCN Wales Communications Hub on 02920680717 or 02920680769.