HEALTH workers have called for better pay in the NHS in Wales after the auditor general criticised a lack of a workforce planning strategy in a report published yesterday.

Auditor General for Wales Adrian Crompton said while there had been some improvements, the NHS is still experiencing challenges with recruitment and retention and a reliance on expensive agency staff to plug workforce gaps.

Mr Crompton’s report said progress is being hampered by the absence of a national workforce plan, gaps in data and uncertainty over the future shape of healthcare services.