Welsh Government urged to tackle ‘critical shortage’ of consultant nurses

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has called on the Welsh Government to take immediate steps to address a “critical shortage” of consultant nurses across the NHS in Wales.

Consultant nurses are expert practitioners who bridge clinical care, research, education and strategy.

Their clinical experience enables them to drive improvements in patient care in their specialist field, from urgent and emergency care to mental health and learning disabilities.

Inconsistent care

The RCN has warned that current workforce planning does not adequately support the recruitment or retention of consultant nurses leading to inconsistent care quality across regions.

The nursing union is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world with over half a million members in the UK, including around 30,500 members in Wales.

A report published today (October 30) by RCN Wales warns that the number of consultant nurses has not fully recovered since Welsh Government funding ended, with posts being cut due to budget constraints.

Some health boards employ as few as 1.6 full time consultant nurses.

Vital

Helen Whyley, RCN Wales Executive Director, said: “Consultant nurses are vital to the future of health care in Wales.

“They offer expert advice, lead clinical teams and enhance patient outcomes. The failure to invest in this role not only jeopardises the care of patients, but also stifles the innovative contribute to the future of NHS Wales that nurses can make.

“Some health boards have started to invest in consultant nurses recently, but the overall picture is very disappointing, with numbers remaining too low and many regions unable to meet the diverse health care needs of their populations and therefore the government priorities.

“RCN Wales is urging the Welsh Government to act swiftly to implement a national programme to address these workforce gaps and ensure that an evidence-based approach is used to employ the optimal number of consultant nurses. This national programme needs to be a corner stone in the Nursing Strategic Workforce Plan which is due to be published shortly.”

The Welsh Government invested £281.98 million to support education and training programmes for healthcare professionals in Wales in 2023- 2024 – this funding will be maintained into 2024-25.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We greatly value the nursing workforce in Wales and remain committed to providing the NHS with the workforce it needs.

“Our National Workforce Implementation Plan sets out actions to improve staff wellbeing, and continued investment into expanding education, training, and development opportunities to attract and retain talent.

“The Professional Framework for Enhanced, Advanced, and Consultant Clinical Practice supports the plan to promote the roles of consultant nurses within teams across NHS Wales, and outlines recommendations for health boards to support career development and education at advanced practice levels.”