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The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has added its name to a call for political parties in Wales to commit to a funded long-term plan for the future of the NHS workforce, ahead of Senedd elections in 2026.
The call, published on 4 June 2025 and co-signed by 37 other health and social care bodies in the Welsh NHS Confederation and Wellbeing Alliance, outlines four health and social care priorities for the incoming Welsh government.
The next Senedd elections are expected to take place by May 2026.
The document urges political parties to deliver on priorities related to prevention, care, treatment and support, infrastructure and workforce.
It said that a fully funded and implemented workforce plan should focus on expanding education and training places, as well as widening access to professional qualifications through new routes, such as apprenticeships.
“This would support the development of a multi-professional, integrated, research-minded and digitally enabled workforce for the future,” the document said.
The call also recommends that every government department in the next administration should allocate a ring-fenced budget to health prevention, using improved access to health and wellbeing information, activities, screening, tests and vaccines.
In addition, the document asks for a transition to more accessible care, treatment and support, which should be delivered “in the best place for patients”.
“This should be at home, in the community or in a specialist centre for those who require it,” it adds.
Elen Jones, acting director for England and director for Wales at the RPS, said: “These high-level priorities closely align with the messages we’ve been sharing with political parties around pharmacy and medicines use.
“We’ll also be publishing our own calls to the next Welsh government shortly that will set out the support needed for pharmacists and how the profession can help improve health outcomes, contribute to the prevention agenda and support a sustainable NHS in Wales.”
Nesta Lloyd-Jones, chair of the Welsh NHS Confederation Health and Wellbeing Alliance, said: “Political parties and candidates lining up to form the next Welsh government must take heed of these calls that aim to respond to and improve the challenging situation our systems, organisations, staff and patients find themselves in.
“We all want the same thing — for the people of Wales to live better, healthier lives and to build resilient communities — and we must not miss the opportunity this election brings to make this happen.”
In its manifesto for the 2026 Senedd elections, published in May 2025, Community Pharmacy Wales said the next Welsh government must agree to a new community pharmacy funding formula.
The manifesto also warned that, without reform, the viability of the community pharmacy network could be put at risk, and further closures or reductions in opening hours could leave communities without healthcare access.
