Covid in Wales: NHS pay petition gathers almost 800,000 names

The petition set up by Matthew Tovey (centre) is due to be delivered to Number 10 on Tuesday

An NHS Wales nurse who started a petition seeking a 15% pay rise for health and social care staff has gathered almost 800,000 names.

Matthew Tovey, from Merthyr Tydfil, said NHS staff had been hailed as heroes during the Covid-19 pandemic and deserved to be rewarded.

The Welsh government said it was considering findings before making any decision on pay rises.

The UK government is due to publish its long-awaited NHS pay report soon.

"We've been all been hailed as heroes and angels who were working in unimaginable conditions," hospital nurse Mr Tovey told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"We had limited resources, scarce PPE. It was a terrifying experience."

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Mr Tovey said staff morale was "on the floor", and that colleagues were "leaving the profession in droves".

"We're already heading into a third wave, and it's sort of impossible to recruit new nurses," he added.

"A 15% pay raise would draw staff into the vacant posts and shows our true worth."

A bonus of £735 each was given to 222,000 Welsh NHS staff earlier this year

The petition is due to be delivered to Number 10 Downing Street on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended plans to give some NHS staff in England a 1% pay rise, prompting threats of industrial action.

Pay review bodies covering most NHS workers have made recommendations which have not yet been published.

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The Welsh government will make a decision based on the review's recommendations as health is a devolved issue in Wales.

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We haven't set an arbitrary cap on pay in our evidence to the pay review bodies and we are considering findings before we make an informed decision."

A UK government spokesperson said: "Throughout the pandemic the UK government has always ensured Wales is getting the right support - with £8.6bn of additional spending."

Last month, nine trade unions signed an open letter to the Welsh government saying an "urgent and significant pay rise" was vital for NHS workers to reward staff and stop them leaving jobs.

The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) said the Welsh government should commit to a 12.5% increase for all staff.

A bonus of £735 each was given to 222,000 Welsh NHS staff earlier this year - amounting to about £500 after tax is deducted.