A Potential Strike by Nurses

Part of 4. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:44 pm on 9 November 2022.

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Photo of Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Labour 3:44, 9 November 2022

Thanks very much. The cost-of-living crisis, as Joyce has pointed out, is hitting everybody, but it's hitting nurses as well as other people, and it's really depressing to hear of nurses going to foodbanks and other places. That is, really, a very difficult situation. And what we have seen, as you pointed out, is a huge increase in energy costs, a huge increase in food costs, and now, as you pointed out, thanks to Truss and Kwarteng, what we've got are increases in mortgages, and that's what's really challenging people. All of those nurses who own homes are now going to have to dig deeper, as a result of the chaos that Truss inflicted on our economy. And—can I just be clear—it's not just about this year, as Joyce has pointed out, we are expecting substantial cuts next year. Now, even if the NHS stays at the same level as it is at the moment, we know that, with an ageing population and with digital advances and things, we should be improving the NHS by about 2 per cent a year. That is going to be incredibly difficult in future. But, on top of that, what we're seeing is an erosion of the amount of money that is available for us to spend on the NHS. So, I've given you this example before, but I'm going to give it to you again: I had—