HEALTH workers have called for better pay in the NHS in Wales after the auditor general criticised a lack of a workforce planning strategy in a report published yesterday.

Auditor General for Wales Adrian Crompton said while there had been some improvements, the NHS is still experiencing challenges with recruitment and retention and a reliance on expensive agency staff to plug workforce gaps.

Mr Crompton’s report said progress is being hampered by the absence of a national workforce plan, gaps in data and uncertainty over the future shape of healthcare services.

He said: “The NHS in Wales is continuing to face significant workforce challenges.

“The report points to a need for important action in a number of areas, not least in the development of a stronger and more coherent national approach to workforce planning.”

Unison Cymru/Wales head of health Tanya Bull said: “The NHS remains thousands of staff short in Wales and a huge rise in demand has put increased pressure on the workforce.

“Investing in NHS staff with a decent wage rise this year is crucial. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to persuade demoralised health workers not to quit for less stressful, better paid jobs elsewhere.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales executive director Helen Whyley echoed the call for urgent collective action to address the enduring workforce challenges in NHS Wales. 

She said: “We urge the Welsh government and NHS leaders to collaborate closely with key stakeholders to develop and implement an overarching long-term work force plan that ensures a resilient, motivated and adequately staffed NHS.”

Plaid Cymru’s health spokesman Mabon ap Gwynfor argued that the workforce is the most important component in any health service.

“They need to be respected with modern contracts and properly recompensed,” he said.

“We’ve known about recruitment and retention issues for over a decade, yet this Labour government have singularly failed to properly address the crisis.”

The report follows the recent announcement by Cardiff University that it was shutting its nursing degree course and the Welsh government saying it would not step in.

Ms Ball said: “Cuts to nursing courses at Cardiff University won’t help fill the staffing gaps.

“Only with sufficient numbers of health workers will the NHS backlog reduce and waiting lists fall.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The NHS in Wales now has more staff than at any point in its history, directly employing almost 97,000 full time equivalent staff – a 21% increase since before the pandemic.

“We are currently investing £294m on training new members of the workforce and continue to work with employers and unions to deliver the working environment and conditions our NHS staff deserve.

“We expect there to be a reduction in agency expenditure in 2024-25 to around £173m.”