Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:35 pm on 23 November 2022.
Llywydd, it's a word I've used a number of times today: crisis. The NHS is already in crisis. It was pre COVID; it's always important to bear that in mind. But, of course, the pandemic has exacerbated the situation. But the situation could get even more critical. We now have nurses preparing to leave wards in a dispute over wages, while simultaneously more and more are preparing to leave the profession entirely, and wage levels play an important part in that. We must stop this, and, although it's not the only solution, securing a deserved pay settlement must be a major part of the solution. The Government cannot delay any longer.