Rise in frontline NHS staff welcomed

Figures showing an increase in the number of NHS frontline staff employed across Wales have been warmly welcomed today by Swansea East AM Mike Hedges.

The number of qualified nurses employed in Wales has risen by more than 4,000 since 1999 and there are now 19,000 full time equivalent nurses working in the country. The Welsh Government has also invested an extra £10m to employ more nurses in response to the Francis Report into the Mid-Staffs scandal.

Community nursing numbers have also increased year on year, and have risen by more than 10% since 2009. The number of doctors working in Wales has increased as well – there are more than 1,000 more consultants than in 1999 while the number of GPS has risen by 13%.

At the same time, the average length of time patients spend in hospital has fallen by more than a day while five-year cancer survival rates have increased by 15%.

Commenting on the figures, local AM Mike Hedges said:

“The figures speak for themselves – since 1999, we’ve seen more than 4,000 extra nurses employed along with an increase in the number of consultants working in Wales by 81%.

“On top of this, the amount spent on health services per person has doubled, prescription fees have been scrapped, a cap on the cost of non-residential care has been implemented, and Wales is leading the way in the UK on improving access to cancer treatment, with survival rates increasing year on year.

“All of this shows that continued investment in our NHS is paying off to benefit both patients and the wider Welsh public.”