The number of nursing vacancies in the Welsh NHS is now close to 3,000 – a rise of nearly 1,200 from the previous year, it has been revealed. Analysis from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Wales also found that vast sums of money are being spent on agency nurses to plug gaps in rotas.
Helen Whyley, RCN Wales director, described the vacancy rate as "deeply troubling" and said it demonstrated that nurses were leaving the NHS in their droves due to unrelenting demand and low pay. The union has urged its members to vote in favour of strike action as part of a ballot that runs until October 13.
Meanwhile on Wednesday a petition to extend the Nurse Staffing Levels Act 2016 to cover mental health inpatient wards and community nursing was debated in the Senedd. While many opposition parties have backed the petition health minister Eluned Morgan said this legislative pledge won't deliver its intended aims.
