College signs letter to Welsh First Minister
As the latest monthly waiting times for hospital treatment in Wales are published (17 November, 09:30), 33 organisations from across health and social care, including the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, have come together to sign a joint letter to the First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford AM, calling on the Welsh Government to publish the long-awaited national workforce implementation plan for health and care.
Serious challenges face the NHS as we head into a difficult winter, and the impact of workforce shortages on patient care cannot be underestimated as waiting times reach record levels in Wales. Cancer lists and ambulance performance times are currently the worst on record, and overall, waiting list numbers passed 750,000 for the first time in October 2022.
More than 6 months after the launch of the planned care recovery plan (which promised a workforce implementation plan), there is little to no reliable up-to-date workforce data and no national implementation plan for the recruitment and retention of NHS and social care staff in Wales.
Anecdotally and statistically, we know that health and care staff are overwhelmed and at risk of burnout, and as professional bodies and third sector organisations, our own data shows us that doctors, social workers, nurses, pharmacists, therapists and many others are facing a challenging winter.
The full letter to Mark Drakeford AM can be read below.
