Where are we now?

The consultation on the 3.6% pay award for NHS Agenda for Change staff is now open

Nursing staff employed on Agenda for Change (AfC) contracts in Wales have been awarded a 3.6% pay increase across all bands, backdated to 1 April 2025. Eligible members can vote online now.

Read the Welsh Government pay circular issued 29 May 2025. This pay circular informs employers of the pay arrangements for employees covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) agreement in Wales.

Read our response to the announcement in our member news story here.

What's next?

It is very important that you discuss pay and our next steps with your colleagues.

• Now is the time to get active in your workplace: elect representatives and help organise on these key issues.
• We are continuing to push the Welsh Government for protected time for continuing professional development (CPD) and a 36-hour work week.
• We’re also building on our members’ frustrations through our campaign to end corridor care, and holding the Welsh Government to account to make this happen.

RCN Wales will keep amplifying your voice on the issues that matter most.

• Recognising that salaries for nursing professionals have consistently fallen below inflation – exacerbated by the cost of living crisis – and must now rise significantly to reflect that.
• Valuing the training, qualifications, skills, responsibilities and experience demonstrated every day by nursing staff.
• Ensuring that nursing is seen as an attractive, rewarding profession to tackle the thousands of unfilled nursing posts in NHS Wales.

Ultimately, it's about providing safe and effective care for all people of the United Kingdom.

We are clear that nursing staff deserve the same and fair pay no matter the setting or sector. The Fair Pay for Nursing campaign aims to secure a significant pay increase for all nursing staff covered by Agenda for Change terms. It should apply equally to all NHS nursing staff at all Agenda for Change pay bands.

Health is devolved, and funding our health and care system is a political choice.