Written question WQ90500
- Asked by
- Rhys ab OwenIndependent
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 12 days
Question
How is the Minister ensuring GP practices can offer nurses competitive wages to keep them in the public sector?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services
Annual GMS contract negotiations between Welsh Government, NHS Wales and GPC Wales include discussions on staff pay as the major element of practice expenses. Wales was the first UK nation to include a mandatory requirement in Directions for practices to pass on the agreed staff uplift to all staff including practice nurses.
The contract offer made to GPC Wales this year, includes a staff pay uplift at the same level as has been made to the rest of the NHS in Wales. The number of nurses working in general practice has been increasing in recent years and now stands at 1,446 with an FTE of 1,045.9; as a result of our multi-disciplinary team approach of the Primary Care Model for Wales.