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NHS Boards Deny Claims That Nurses Were Charged To Stay At Hospitals

NHS Boards Deny Claims That Nurses Were Charged To Stay At Hospitals

Six Welsh health boards have denied claims that a hospital charged its nurses to stay overnight so they could get to work in the weather

Chris Ogden

Chris Ogden

Staff across Britain's NHS have been going above and beyond the call of duty during the wintry weather - working longer hours, walking hours to work and even staying overnight at hospitals.

Now six Welsh health boards have been forced to deny claims that hospitals charged their nurses to stay in student accommodation during Storm Emma so they could make their next shift.

Welsh Health Secretary Vaughan Gething.
PA

The Welsh health secretary Vaughan Gething pledged to investigate the allegations as he said there is 'extraordinary public sympathy' for NHS staff in the current climate.

"NHS staff who have stayed overnight to try and make sure that their employer - the National Health Service - can continue to function the next day, I just don't think that should result in a charge to any of our staff who are doing that," Gething told BBC Radio Wales today.

"There is extraordinary public sympathy and support for our national health service as people have seen the extraordinary efforts being made to maintain a service for our most vulnerable citizens."

The allegations were first made over Twitter by Leighton Jenkins, assistant director and head of policy at CBI Wales.

The Cardiff and Vale, Cwm Taf, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Hywel Dda boards all rejected the claims over social media, instead praising their staff for "going the extra mile" during extreme circumstances.

"Just to be clear we are NOT charging any of our staff for accommodation," the Cwm Taf board posted on Twitter.

"We are grateful to all our staff who are going the extra mile to provide first class care."

Vanessa Young, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation which represents all Welsh health boards, agreed with Gething that the claims needed looking into.

"We would want to ensure that if staff are coming in to help with the situation that we are facing at the moment, that they wouldn't be incurring additional cost," she said.

"It may be to do with the fact that they need to pay in advance and then claim it back from their health board. But as I say, we need to look at the detail and deal with that."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, News, Beast From The East, Storm Emma, NHS