HEALTH unions urged the Welsh government today to take direct responsibility for NHS pay and demand proper funding from Westminster.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales called on Welsh ministers to take urgent action to deliver a pay award without delay and to publicly challenge the UK government over its failure to provide the necessary money for the Welsh NHS.

RCN Wales executive director Helen Whyley said: “The Welsh government must take responsibility and act now to ensure nursing staff receive a fair and timely pay rise. 

“At the same time, they must hold Westminster to account for failing to properly fund NHS Wales.

“Nursing staff are the backbone of the NHS and cannot be expected to deliver the reforms needed to save it if the Welsh government can’t even pay them fairly and on time.”

Unison Cymru/Wales regional manager Simon Dunn said: “The Welsh government's decision to persist with the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) process means that, yet again, NHS workers will not receive their pay rise on its due date of April 1. 

“Workers had hoped that a change in government at Westminster would result in a change of process for determining NHS pay rises — preferably direct talks.”

The union also said that matters in Wales were complicated by devolution and funding settlements, mean that the Welsh government would always operate on a later timeline than England.

A spokesperson for the Welsh government said it had urged the PRB to provide recommendations on an award for 2025-26 for NHS Wales staff as soon as possible and hoped to receive the recommendations in May.