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Wales Online
Wales Online
Health
Mark Smith

NHS staff in Wales seeing fewer patients in communities due to soaring fuel costs

Health workers in Wales who rely on their car could soon be forced off the road in the wake of sky-rocketing fuel prices, it is claimed. Unison, the largest union representing health workers in Wales, has heard from NHS employees whose fuel costs have increased between £150 to £200 per month.

Similarly the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Wales claims community nurses are having to reduce the number of patients they see per day to keep petrol and diesel costs down. Both unions are now calling on NHS employers and the Welsh Government to consider an immediate additional fuel allowance for health workers who are out of pocket.

Shay Holland, a registered community nurse and member of RCN Wales, said: "The rising costs of fuel means that I feel like I can't offer a wider range of visits, which limits the number of patients I can see. This has a direct impact on patient care. The wage we receive is not reflective of the cost of mileage and it feels as though we are working for free. This increases the overall stresses within our personal lives making us feel that we are unable to do more outside of work to rest and recuperate."

Read more: Wales faces a huge and growing shortage of nurses in the NHS

She added: "In addition, nothing is in place in my health board to provide us with an increase in expenses per mile for the use of our cars as district nurses. Why? With an increase of fuel prices, why are we not getting an increase in our expenses? It feels like the government are still relying too much on the goodwill of nurses, rather than treating us respectfully as fellow professionals."

Nicky Hughes, associate director RCN Wales (employment relations) said the Welsh Government needs to urgently help nursing staff hit by the soaring fuel prices following the Chancellor's spring statement. She said: "Nurses are already making an appalling level of personal sacrifice. They are subsidising the health service by working unsustainable amounts of overtime, and now by paying for their work-related transport from their own pockets.

"District and community nursing staff rely heavily on their own vehicles to carry out the very fundamentals of their role, visiting patients in their own homes or in other community settings. Staff are telling us they are now having to pay £100 more on fuel every month.

"The situation is not viable for the future of the workforce, and we arrive at the same conclusion time and time again: it is patients who will ultimately suffer if nursing staff can't afford to fill up their cars. This will mean less frequent home visits, with chronic conditions potentially worsening and complications being missed."

Ms Hughes added that not only must nurses be rewarded fairly for the "critical" work that they do, but also be provided with adequate resources to fulfil their "practical caring duties to the best of their ability".

"All of this must be done without putting further strain on their finances and limiting their freedom outside of work, which should be a necessary break to re-charge," she said. "With many nursing staff already considering leaving the profession, this extra cost and pressure will not do anything to encourage people to stay or showcase the profession as a fulfilling and lifelong career choice for new recruitment."

Hugh McDyer, Unison Cymru Wales head of health, said the current standard rates in NHS Wales of 45p up to 10,000 miles and 25p per mile for over 10,000 miles are supposed to cover the total cost of motoring. "Now, because of the fuel rise there is growing evidence that this fails to meet even the cost of fuel, let alone the daily wear and tear costs," he said.

"The HMRC mileage rates now need to be reviewed, even when fuel costs are relatively stable health workers are telling us this does not cover the real cost of motoring, when using your car for work.

"All options need to be considered to address this matter as quickly as possible, otherwise there is a danger those vital staff will say they can no longer afford to use their car for work."

Petrol prices have soared by 13p since the start of the month and diesel by nearly 21p - the fastest rises on record. The AA says it means that between mid-February and mid-March the cost of filling a typical 55-litre car tank leapt from £81.73 to £90.97.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak will announce his Spring Statement on Wednesday, and the government has said it has frozen fuel duty for 12 years in a row. Welsh Conservative Peter Fox, finance spokesman and MS for Monmouth, says: "The Welsh Conservatives believe that the chancellor's spring statement provides the right opportunity to protect the increasingly tight budget of families and businesses, and this can be done by a progressive cutting of fuel duty."

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