BREAKING: The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has just announced a staggering shortage of registered nurses in North Wales, with a shocking total of 1,481 vacancies across NHS Wales. This urgent update highlights the growing crisis within the healthcare system, particularly at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which alone accounts for 451.5 unfilled posts, nearly a third of the total vacancies.
The RCN’s comprehensive Nursing in Numbers 2025 report reveals the dire circumstances nurses are facing, emphasizing the escalating costs and strain on patient care due to these vacancies. The report, based on data obtained through Freedom of Information requests, shows that despite the alarming shortage, many health boards have implemented vacancy freezes, leaving newly qualified nurses struggling to find full-time employment.
In a revelation that underscores the urgent need for action, NHS Wales has been forced to rely heavily on temporary agency staff. In the fiscal year 2024-25, health boards spent an astonishing £88.7 million on agency nurses—funds that could have employed 2,815 full-time registered nurses.
The RCN also warns of systemic issues, including ongoing discrimination against nurses from minority backgrounds, urging the Welsh Government to act under the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan. Alarmingly, findings from the RCN’s 2025 Employment Survey show that 88.4% of nursing staff in Wales work additional hours at least once a week, with more than half clocking in over three extra hours, and nearly 40% reporting these hours as unpaid.
“This situation is unsustainable,” said Helen Whyley, Executive Director of RCN Wales. “Patients in Wales deserve safe, consistent care. Our brilliant nursing workforce deserves fair pay, safe staffing levels, and protection from abuse.” Whyley emphasized that the Welsh Government and NHS Wales must take immediate action on the report’s 13 urgent recommendations, which include protecting nursing roles, improving workforce data, halting hospital bed cuts, and ensuring fair pay and career progression.
The report points to a critical need for more investment in social care staff and additional nursing student placements with enhanced support. With 38% of nursing staff contemplating leaving their positions, the urgency for reform is palpable. The RCN insists that without accurate vacancy counts across all pay bands, effective workforce planning remains impossible.
As the situation develops, the RCN remains committed to collaborating with government officials, health boards, and educational partners to devise practical solutions aimed at filling vacancies and promoting fairness within the workforce.
Next steps: Stakeholders are urged to closely monitor these developments. The health and safety of patients in Wales depend on immediate and decisive actions to resolve this crisis.
Stay tuned for updates as this situation unfolds and affects healthcare services across North Wales.
