General practice nurse numbers fall in Wales amid retirement concerns

The number of registered nurses working in general practice in Wales has fallen by 3.6% over the past year, even as the number of GPs has risen, according to a new report from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

The Nursing in Numbers 2025 report reveals that there are now 1,002 full-time equivalent registered nurses working in general practice across Wales, compared with 1,581 GPs.

The decline comes amid growing concerns about the age profile of the general practice nursing workforce in Wales, with almost half (49%) aged 50 or over and 16% aged 60 or more. Only 5% are under 29.

RCN Wales warns this age profile is ‘concerning’ because nurses approaching or over 55 are more likely to be considering leaving as they near retirement, potentially having a ‘devastating impact on the delivery of primary care’.

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The report also highlights that workload pressures are preventing general practice nurses (GPNs) from taking part in collaborative service planning.

GP practices in Wales work in 64 ‘clusters’ – groups of practices across a geographical area that work together to develop services and aim to provide consistency in care.

GPNs are expected to work through this cluster model to support communication between GPs, nurses and the wider community workforce, including district nurses.

However, the report states that GPNs are often unable to participate meaningfully in cluster nursing collaboratives and wider pan-cluster planning groups due to workload pressures.

The RCN says either the Welsh Government must provide funding to enable nurses to be released from their practice duties for this work, or GP practices themselves must fund the release.

The report calls for more ambitious objectives around nurses and other health professionals taking up leadership roles within practices, clusters and at pan-cluster level.

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It recommends that the Welsh Government ensure there is a formal seat for a senior nurse on all primary care clusters, arguing that ‘leadership and strategic planning in primary care needs cannot be exclusively from a medical perspective’.

These concerns sit within a wider picture of workforce pressures across NHS Wales. The RCN identified at least 1,481 registered nurse vacancies across health boards, with agency nursing spending reaching £88.7m in 2024-25 – enough to fund more than 2,800 newly registered nurses, according to the report.

Helen Whyley, RCN Wales executive director, said: ‘These figures are a stark warning that our nursing workforce is still under intolerable strain and still not getting the respect it deserves.

‘Immediate investment, alongside a clear future-proofed strategy, will be essential to secure a stable nursing workforce and protect patient care across Wales.’

Further recommendations in the report include protecting the registered nurse role, improving workforce data, reforming pay and progression, and ensuring clearer national planning for nursing education and training.

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The Welsh Government said: ‘We greatly value the nursing and midwifery workforce in Wales and the vital work they do.’

They said the government was ‘investing £294m on health professional education and training’ this year, and that the number of nurses working in NHS Wales was ‘now at record levels’.