NHS nurses working in Wales have rejected a 5.5% pay increase proposed by the Welsh Government, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced.
Almost three-quarters (72%) of those who completed the RCN’s consultation voted against the 2024/25 pay increase for NHS staff on Agenda for Change.
The Welsh Government had confirmed the pay award for NHS staff in September, with the 5.5% rise expected to be paid to staff in November.
However, the RCN said today’s result showed that the award ‘fails to match the safety-critical nature’ of nurses’ work and the ‘extensive skills they bring to the NHS’.
Helen Whyley, RCN Wales executive director, said: ‘Our members have spoken loudly and clearly: nursing staff in Wales know their worth.
‘After years of underpayment, this award fails to match the safety-critical nature of their work and the extensive skills they bring to the NHS.’
She added: ‘With the NHS in Wales in a fragile state, it is imperative that the Welsh Government commits to valuing nursing staff to strengthen recruitment and retention, which will, in turn, improve patient care.’
Ms Whyley urged ministers to ‘engage in urgent talks toward pay restoration to address the historical underpayment faced by nurses in Wales’.
‘We urge the Welsh Government to recognise that fair pay is essential to sustaining this essential workforce,’ she added.
While the RCN has not released figures on how many members completed its consultation, it said the number reached ‘the same levels’ as those seen in its successful 2022 industrial action ballot.
Since the 5.5% rise is an award and not an offer from the government, the RCN noted its results would not directly affect employer payment of it, and that it was expected to be seen in November pay packets, backdated to 1 April 2024.
The consultation took place between 25 September and 25 October 2024.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said they ‘greatly value’ the nursing workforce and that ministers had accepted the independent pay review body recommendation’s for this year’s rise.
‘We know that retaining our current workforce is as important as recruiting new staff, and we’ve also maintained our education and training budget at £281m this year,’ they added.
‘Despite the unprecedented pressures on our budget, record numbers of people are employed by the NHS.
‘We continue to work with employers and unions to deliver the working environment and conditions our NHS staff deserve and need to continue providing high-quality care for the people of Wales.’
In September, the Welsh Government said it wanted to see a ‘fair and proportionate’ pay rise for all general practice nurses (GPNs) and their colleagues – but there were ongoing concerns over delayed negotiations between ministers and the British Medical Association.
