8. How is the Welsh Government supporting NHS Wales staff? OQ56915

We all recognise that our health and social care workforce have been under acute, sustained pressure for an exceptional amount of time. We continue to work with partners across health and social care to ensure that we provide targeted funding and services to complement local workplace support.

Diolch yn fawr, Minister, and you're right, and I'm sure that everybody both inside and outside the Chamber would agree with me that the sacrifices made by our wonderful front-line NHS staff over the last 18 months do deserve to be recognised. And that's not just because that's the right thing to do, but it's also because we need them to continue to deliver because, one, COVID hasn't gone away, two, there are other challenges coming to the NHS's battle. A key battle for us and for Government is staff retention and, as you say, you're having conversations, but as part of these pay negotiations with trade unions representing the front-line staff, they have put forward a series of requests on behalf of the front-line workers. Perhaps, Minister, you could update the Senedd Chamber today on how those negotiations are going, and make a commitment that, in the future, those conversations will carry on in a collaborative approach, as it should be. 

Thanks very much, Jack, and can I also pay tribute to the incredible work that our NHS workers have done during what is undoubtedly the most challenging time in the history of the NHS? We absolutely appreciate the work that they've done. In relation to NHS pay, then, of course, we had established, along with the unions, to look at the NHS review body and the doctors and dentists review body. They took evidence from all aspects of the workplace, and there was an understanding that they would come up with a suggestion in terms of what a pay rise should look like. They came up with a suggestion of 3 per cent. Of course, we have suggested that we can do that at 3 per cent. It is very difficult for us to go any further because, frankly, we haven't had the money from the UK Government. Were we to get the money from the UK Government, then we would be in a different position. 

The discussions with our trade union colleagues continue. We are discussing if there are any additional enhancements that could be complementary to the pay award, and those discussions are continuing. But I think it's important for us also to underline the fact that we have also given that one-off payment of £735 per person, but also we've got to bear in mind that there are care workers, and as I've said before, this is the most brittle part of the whole service at the moment, and I am focused on that. I am also focused on making sure, along with Julie Morgan, that we can deliver that living wage as soon as possible, because that is all impacting on the service that the NHS can provide at the moment.

Thank you, Minister.