Why nursing should be high on the Senedd agenda

THE elections are finally over and we now know who our government in Wales will be for the next five years. This is a good opportunity for us as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Wales to ensure that nursing is high on the government’s agenda.

Over the past year our lives have been affected in ways beyond which we could have imagined. The only constant has been all those working on the frontline to provide the best care possible in extreme circumstances.

Nurses maintained the fundamental focus of providing the best care possible. Some have done this by sacrificing time with families and loved ones, working very long hours, and wearing equipment that has been very restrictive and often causing skin irritation.

We also provide care for the population of Wales at every stage of life across all settings, from cradle to grave.

This is the business of all nurses, and in particular those specialist community public health nurses (eg health visitors, occupational health nurses and school nurses), specialist practitioners such as district nurses and advanced practitioners and consultant nurses.

So, what do we want from our next Welsh Government? A few key words come to mind: respect, value, acknowledgement, investment and fairness.

The RCN in Wales last year launched our manifesto, which sets out five key policy areas that are important to RCN Wales members and are asking Welsh Government to:

■ ensure safe and effective nursing care – with enough nurses to deliver this

■ value nursing – fair pay and access to continuing professional development (CPD)

■ invest in nurses working in community nursing and care homes

■ support the mental health and wellbeing of the nursing workforce

■ Improve public health and fight to end health inequalities.

Wales has been at the forefront on safe staffing, being the first country in Europe to introduce legislation in 2016 to require health boards to ensure appropriate levels of nurses (the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016).

The evidence is quite clear: safe staffing saves lives.

Another key area of consideration is fair pay. There is a huge deficit across the UK of more 50,000 registered nurses, with many more unrecorded vacancies in other healthcare settings and in social care.

RCN members are calling for the UK Government to award a 12.5% pay rise in recognition of the leadership, dedication and professionalism shown by nursing staff. The independent pay review body will report this summer, setting out its recommendations.

However, pay is ultimately a political choice made by governments in all four UK nations. A fair pay rise would encourage the next generation to come into the profession, helping to fill the vacant registered nurse roles as well as provide a much-needed morale boost.

Ultimately, improving care for the people of Wales also means caring for our nursing staff. Welsh Government, please listen and act.