Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 3:08 pm on 29 September 2021.
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.