RCN says inaction threatens workforce stability and patient care

TODAY marks the start of the 2025/26 financial year, but thousands of nursing staff across Wales are still waiting to hear what their pay rise will be. The Welsh Government has not yet announced this year’s NHS pay award, leaving health workers in uncertainty during a time of continuing economic pressure.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has criticised the delay, warning that it undermines staff morale and exacerbates an already fragile workforce situation. According to the latest figures, there are over 2,000 nursing vacancies across Wales, with staff retention falling and student recruitment struggling to keep pace with demand.

Last year, after months of industrial unrest, NHS nursing staff in Wales accepted a revised pay offer from the Welsh Government. The 2023/24 deal included a 5% consolidated increase and a one-off payment of at least £900. At the time, Welsh ministers said the agreement represented the best possible offer within the limits of the funding available from Westminster.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said during the 2023 negotiations: “We are working within a fixed budget and have had to make difficult decisions to prioritise frontline services. We continue to urge the UK Government to provide the necessary funding for fair pay across the NHS.”

That context remains unchanged in 2025, with Welsh ministers stating in recent months that without additional funding from the UK Government, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fund public sector pay awards without affecting other services. The Welsh Government has frequently highlighted that it does not receive ringfenced health pay funding and must make choices within the block grant provided via the Barnett formula.

Nevertheless, the RCN says the failure to confirm this year’s NHS pay uplift on time is unacceptable.

Helen Whyley, Executive Director of RCN Wales, said: “The continued delay in announcing the NHS pay award is unacceptable. Nursing staff are essential to patient care, yet once again, they find themselves at the bottom of government priorities.”

“Nursing staff are the backbone of the NHS and cannot be expected to deliver the reforms needed to save it if Welsh Government can’t even pay them fairly and on time. The Welsh Government must take responsibility and act now to ensure nursing staff receive a fair and timely pay rise. At the same time, they must hold Westminster to account for failing to properly fund NHS Wales.”

Health unions are calling for clarity in the coming days to avoid further disruption and to reassure staff who are already facing high workloads and rising living costs.

The Welsh Government has been approached for an updated comment regarding the current delay.

A CALL for Pembrokeshire to make more land for allotments available for the public while also reviewing their pricing was made by the leader of the independent group.

At Pembrokeshire County Council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting of March 27, Cllr Huw Murphy asked for greater allotment provision in the county.

Cllr Murphy said there were some 200 allotments in the county, with Pembrokeshire charging £32 per allotment against Ceredigion’s £60 and Birmingham’s £200.

“We should be promoting allotments and making more land available,” held told committee members, saying that, in his own area, Dinas has allotments, but the town of Newport did not.

He suggested a survey to find out the demand for allotments be held, citing the benefits to people’s wellbeing by working outdoors, with the facilities available at “a realistic pricing level”.

He was supported by Pembroke Dock councillor Tony Wilcox, who said the recent allocation of six allotments in his area “could’ve been got rid of five or six times over”.

In Pembroke, a recent application by the town council for 20 allotments was given the go-ahead by planners back in February using a disused play area.

It was agreed to place Cllr Murphy’s allotment call be placed on the committee’s Forward Work Programme, with further discussion and a review to follow.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Murphy said: “Increasing allotment numbers will play an important part in our food security, the traceability of our food, encouraging a healthy diet and improving residents’ wellbeing, hence why I have asked that allotments be given higher priority within Pembrokeshire.”

Family say they were not told, despite clinic’s previous assurances

A GRIEVING mother from West Wales ended her life in secret at a controversial assisted dying clinic in Switzerland — despite the clinic’s alleged promise to inform relatives before carrying out any such procedure.

Anne, 51, travelled to the Pegasos clinic near Basel in January, telling her family she was going on holiday. In reality, she intended to die — a decision her loved ones only discovered after receiving farewell letters posted from Switzerland.

The Pembrokeshire Herald has chosen not to release Anne’s surname in order to respect the family’s privacy.

Pegasos is already under scrutiny after a similar case in 2023, when 47-year-old Alistair Hamilton died without his family’s knowledge. Following that case, the clinic reportedly assured the public that it would always notify next of kin before proceeding with assisted deaths.

But Anne’s family say they were kept in the dark — a claim that has prompted an investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police.

Her brother, John, told ITV News he had received no calls or messages from the clinic, despite Pegasos saying they had tried to reach him.

Anne, who was not terminally ill, is believed to have been suffering from severe depression following the death of her son. In one of her letters, she wrote: “I can’t keep going and get older and older without my son… This was my decision to go to Switzerland and be in peace.”

In another note addressed to her sister Delia, she said: “If you’re reading this, I am no longer here. I have thought about this long and hard and need to find [my son] and ask him some questions.”

Delia said she was left confused and heartbroken, unsure if Anne had truly died. She contacted multiple Swiss clinics before finally hearing back from Pegasos several days later.

In an email, the clinic said: “Anne has chosen to die. She died gently and not alone. I hope her letters help you to accept this. All official papers and her urn will be sent to her brother John.”

Delia told ITV: “Anyone who loses a child probably wants to die and be with them. But with the right help, she could have got through it.”

The Pegasos clinic told ITV News that it does its best to ensure people they assist have informed their families.

A spokesperson said: “According to our protocols, we do the best of our abilities that persons we assist have informed their loved ones of their plans to die. Should we have reason to assume that no information has been provided to close family, we will refrain from proceeding without credible proof that they are aware.”

They added: “We understand that the assisted death of a loved person is a distressing time for the family. We are very sorry if Pegasos’ actions or communications have caused further distress to any affected family member at any time and thoroughly consider all concerns.”

The clinic also emphasised that since its founding in 2019, all its actions have been in accordance with Swiss law.

Assisted dying is legal in Switzerland for people of sound mind, regardless of whether they are terminally ill, provided they are not being coerced.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed they are working with the Swiss authorities, who say Anne died on 6 January.

A spokesperson for the force said it could “neither confirm nor deny whether a person is a suspect or person of interest” in the case.

If you are affected by any of the issues in this article, help is available. You can contact Samaritans for free, 24 hours a day, on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.