The Welsh Government has said it wants to see a ‘fair and proportionate’ pay rise for all general practice nurses (GPNs) and their colleagues – but concerns remain over delayed negotiations between ministers and the British Medical Association (BMA) in Wales.
This week the Welsh Government announced it had accepted a 6% pay rise for doctors and dentists, including GPs, and a 5.5% pay rise for NHS staff on Agenda for Change – as recommended by the independent pay review bodies.
In making the announcement, cabinet secretary for health and social care Mark Drakeford, recognised that GPNs and other GP staff fell outside of the scope of the recommendations.
However, he said he wanted to ‘see a fair and proportionate pay uplift across primary care, including community pharmacies, NHS optometry and all staff working in general practice and dental teams’.
‘This is in recognition of the vital role primary care, and its staff, plays in delivering essential services to people throughout Wales,’ he said.
When asked what this means for wider practice staff, a spokesperson for the Welsh Government told Nursing in Practice that this was ‘still subject to negotiations’.
Dr Gareth Oelmann, chair of the general practice committee (GPC) at BMA Wales, explained that pay uplifts for all general practice staff ‘cannot be realised’ until negotiations over the general medical services (GMS) contract for the 2024/25 financial year begin, which it said the Welsh Government has delayed.
‘We continue to call on the Welsh Government to urgently address the crisis in general practice by securing a mandate to allow for GMS contract negotiations to start without any further delays,’ he said.
‘An appropriate pay uplift for all practice staff is vital for the future success of general practice in Wales, and this is something we shall stress during forthcoming negotiations.’
Nicky Hughes, associate director at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales, said the union welcomes the announcement from the Welsh Government regarding a fair pay uplift for general practice staff.
‘It is imperative that the Welsh Government begins the delayed GMS contract negotiations as a matter of urgency and ensures that the pay uplift is provided equitably across the GP practice teams including nursing staff,’ she told Nursing in Practice.
The situation in Wales comes after the Westminster government said it expected GP practices in England to pass on a 6% pay rise to GPNs following an uplift to the global sum.
