Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 1:52 pm on 11 May 2022.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 1:52, 11 May 2022

(Translated)

I appreciate that. This nurse certainly was concerned about the staffing levels in general, and clearly the over-dependency on agency staff. I was told that the majority of nurses that came from Spain a few years ago, after a recruitment campaign, have returned to Spain. There are major gaps in the workforce. The Minister, I know, will have received a copy of the latest report by the Royal College of Nursing on staffing levels. Two of the recommendations in this: (1) that there is a need for an international recruitment strategy, which echoes what this nurse said; and also that we need to develop a retention strategy for staff, and that has to be a priority. But, to the first recommendation I turn with a simple question: the royal college says that the Welsh Government, during this current parliamentary term, needs to extend section 25B of the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016 to community nursing and mental health in-patient wards. The Minister knows that this is a call that has been heard time and time again; we know that staffing levels that are too low endanger the well-being of patients. Can we have that promise, please?