Commenting on the news that there are nearly 4,300 staff vacancies within the Welsh NHS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister, Russell George MS said:
“Welsh Conservatives have long been calling for a recruitment and retention plan, but after 25 years of a solution-deficient Labour Government running our Welsh NHS, the service remains understaffed with more than 4,000 staff vacancies.
“In Wales, we are currently spending tens of millions on agency nursing staff, money that should be spent on our frontline Welsh NHS services. Labour’s failure to recruit and retain talent in our health service is costing us dearly and is causing us to suffer with unique challenges like 2-year treatment waits which still exist in Wales, but have been virtually eliminated elsewhere in the UK.
“Welsh Conservatives would protect the health budget unlike Labour who are the only government to have cut the budget, not once, not twice, but soon to be three times.”