A balance between pay and resources

THERE’S almost universal agreement that NHS workers in Wales deserve a decent pay rise.

What frontline health and care workers have endured since the start of this pandemic has been upsetting at best, and at worst deeply traumatising.

Hospital visiting restrictions led to doctors and nurses taking on the dual role of medical professional and makeshift family member; holding the hands of patients as they passed away without their loved ones by their side.

They have seen things which many of us can only imagine, and the toll this will take on them both physically and mentally has yet to be fully realised.

Let’s not forget that NHS staff in Wales have been under the cosh way before this pandemic first began. Workforce and bed shortages have been historic problems, with Covid-19 simply bringing them into sharper focus.

Later this month an independent pay review body will recommend how much of a pay rise NHS staff deserve. The body will take evidence from leading health trade unions, employers and governments before they make their conclusions.

But ultimately NHS pay is a political decision - and it’s one which will draw heavy criticism should the Welsh Government get it wrong.

In March the UK Government made the proposal for NHS workers in England to be given a 1% pay rise - which is effectively a cut given that inflation stands at around 1.5%. Predictably, the backlash was severe and viewed by many as a figurative slap in the face to all those clinicians, administrators and other NHS staff who risked their lives during the worst crisis in living memory.

New Health Minister Eluned Morgan has reiterated the sentiments of her predecessor Vaughan Gething in not wanting to see a ceiling on any proposed pay increase.

However, the Welsh Government will need to foot the bill for any pay boost larger than 1% and it has only a finite amount of money at its disposal.

The Royal College of Nursing has put forward a case for a 12.5% pay increase to be rewarded to reflect the growing skillset and workload of its members - but even they must realise this is ambitious.

The Welsh Government will need to strike the perfect balance between what NHS in Wales staff deserve and what it can realistically offer.