What is the Welsh Government doing to curb the use of agency nurses within the NHS in Wales?
We greatly value the nursing workforce in Wales and the vital work they do. Our National Workforce Implementation Plan sets out how we will improve recruitment, retention and the wellbeing of the NHS workforce, including reducing reliance on agency staff.
We have committed, in social partnership, to take joint action across Wales to reduce agency spend in NHS Wales. Guidance has been issued to all NHS Wales organisations to sustain reductions in agency spend already achieved in 2024-25 with the ambition of making further significant reductions throughout the remainder of 2024-25. National alignment and coordination will maximise the impact of this work and offer assurance across the system that the benefits are being delivered.
Despite the unprecedented pressures on our budget, record numbers of people, including nurses, are employed by the NHS. We’ve also maintained our education and training budget at £283.126m this year.
A set of targeted workforce plans have been published or are in development as a result of priorities identified in A Healthier Wales: Our Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care Workforce, which was published in 2020, setting a 10-year strategic direction and vision for workforce transformation.
HEIW launched the Nursing Retention Plan recently and key principles will be adopted within the National Retention Programme for NHS Wales. The All-Wales Flexible Working Policy has been published which will enable more attractive flexible working arrangements and patterns to support and retain staff.