‘Nurses have made their voice heard loud and clear’
STEVE FORD, EDITOR
01 November, 2022 By Graham Clews
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General practice nurses in Wales are to receive a 4.5% pay rise, the Welsh Government has announced.
But nursing leaders in the country are disappointed by the news and said the uplift fell “way short of what we expect and what is fair”.
The Welsh Government has unveiled the latest pay deal for all staff working in general practice in the country, alongside a new contract for GPs which it says will streamline current process to allow for a greater focus on patient care.
“A 4.5% pay rise for general practice nurses in Wales falls way short of what we expect and what is fair”
Helen Whyley
The pay award was revealed on Friday and the Welsh Government confirmed to Nursing Times that general practice nurses would be included in the deal.
The increase for nurses matches the rise given to GPs in Wales and falls in line with the recommendations of the doctors and dentists pay review body.
Eluned Morgan
Announcing the deal, Welsh health and social services minister, Eluned Morgan, said: “GPs and their staff have worked tirelessly in the face of ongoing pressure, to meet the needs of their patients.
“They have remained agile and responsive in these challenging times, and this agreement and investment acknowledges that commitment to delivering services to patients.”
Responding to the news, Royal College of Nursing Wales director Helen Whyley, said it was “very disappointing” that the government’s statement on the GP pay rise did not mention the “crucial role that nurses play in providing vital services to patients in Wales”.
“The announcement of a 4.5% pay rise for general practice nurses in Wales falls way short of what we expect and what is fair,” she added.
Ms Whyley highlighted that the RCN was currently balloting nurses in the NHS on strike action over this year’s below-inflation pay awards.
Helen Whyley
“We believe that nurses should receive a pay award that is 5% above inflation,” she said,
“General practice nurses are not included in this ballot but our position on their pay is the same.”
RCN Wales last week wrote to the health minister stating it was “ready and waiting” for open discussions around the pay award for NHS nurses on Agenda for Change contracts. This came in advance of the closing date of the RCN’s UK-wide strike ballot over pay on Wednesday 2 November.
Unison is also balloting members on industrial action in Wales, England, and Northern Ireland over NHS pay.
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