Mark Drakeford 'cannot magic money' for nursing pay

First Minister Mark Drakeford has warned he cannot "magic money out of the air" for nurses, amid a pay dispute.

RCN Wales is considering whether to ballot for industrial action after members rejected the increase.

Mr Drakeford said while he agrees they deserve more, cash could only be found "from doing even less" to provide services.

Plaid Cymru's Adam Price said it was a "kick in the teeth" for thousands.

RCN Wales warned nurses will continue to leave the profession without an increase.

In the summer the Welsh government said it would offer all NHS staff in Wales a 3% pay rise, backdated to April 2021, last week following a recommendation by NHS pay bodies.

That prompted an angry response from the RCN Wales, which acts as a trade union for nurses, who said it was "bitterly disappointing".

A consultation held by the body attracted a 29% turnout, and 94% of members rejected the pay award.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price asked if Mr Drakeford would agree to formal pay negotiations with the RCN.

Mr Drakeford said while ministers were speaking to trade unions about the pay offer, the RCN was not participating in the discussions.

But Mr Price accused him of refusing to engage with the RCN on calls for an "across the board pay increase", and said inflation is now running at 3.2%, or 4.2% if the retail price index is used.

He asked if the Welsh Labour leader agreed with UK Labour's Sir Keir Starmer that it amounts to a real terms cut.

Mr Drakeford, in response, said the Welsh government was getting a 1% uplift in funding from the UK government and Welsh ministers were having to find the rest of the money from resources used for "purposes other than pay".

Every 1% in the NHS pay rise costs £50m, he said.

"Do I think the Welsh government can go on funding dollops of £50m in order to increase the pay award, above and beyond what we are funded to do so? The answer to that is no," he said.

Mr Price added: "After the year that they've had, how will a 3% pay increase convince those that remained [in the NHS] to stay, when even a Labour government imposes a below inflation pay award on nurses?"

But Mr Drakeford said if he was "to take the simplistic advice that I have been offered, magic money out of the air to pay people who I wanted to pay, and I agree... that they deserved more, but that money has to be found from somewhere.

"It could only be found from doing even less to provide the services" that Plaid members would want to support, he said.

Helen Whyley, director, RCN Wales, said: "Without a fair pay rise nurses will continue to leave in their droves and safe care will be compromised and in turn patients' lives could be put at risk."

She added: "We are shocked and disappointed that he said RCN Wales has not been willing to negotiate with the Welsh government when it was us who approached the health minister to discuss an increase in the percentage for some time."