Nursing academics at Cardiff University are no longer being threatened with redundancy, the university has confirmed.
Earlier this month, university vice-chancellor and president Professor Wendy Larner emailed staff an update on the university’s Our Academic Future consultation.
“These proposals should never have been made whilst the future of health care in Wales hangs in the balance”
Helen Whyley
This consultation, which closed on 6 May, was launched in January and initially included plans to cut more than 400 full-time equivalent (FTE) academic staffing posts, close some of its courses and merge schools, in order to reduce costs.
It included deep cuts to the School of Healthcare Sciences, including an end to all nursing courses at the university and mandatory redundancies for many staff.
Following heavy resistance from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the University and College Union (UCU), the university has since scaled back the cuts.
In April, the university told staff that it would no longer be cutting nursing entirely, but that it would need to train fewer nurses to save money.
A few weeks later, university management announced that it would not make any mandatory redundancies in 2025, but that staff in scope of the consultation could still voluntarily leave.
Professor Larner’s latest update, dated 15 May, has now confirmed that the university has taken the School of Healthcare Sciences, as well as the schools of medicine, biosciences, English, communications and philosophy, out of scope of the consultation.
“This means that these staff are no longer at risk of redundancy,” said Professor Larner.
Cardiff University nursing students and lecturers protest proposed closure of courses
However, this was only possible due to “alternative proposals” being put forward, for example the shrinking of nursing cohorts, and some voluntary redundancies in those schools, she added.
The RCN and UCU welcomed news that nursing would receive no further cuts in Cardiff.
However, RCN Wales executive director Helen Whyley reiterated her union’s dismay at the way the entire situation had been handled by the university.
“We are bitterly disappointed in the way in which they have dealt with this issue and the loss of trust and confidence this has led to,” she said.
“These proposals should never have been made whilst the future of health care in Wales hangs in the balance.”
She said this final U-turn came “too late” for those who already made the choice of voluntary redundancy, and that nursing education in Cardiff had lost experienced and knowledgeable academics.
Ms Whyley added: “There is now a net loss of nursing lecturers alongside a reduced intake of students, whilst 2,000 nursing vacancies persist here in Wales.
“Cardiff University has a long way to go to rebuild that trust with its nurse educators and show that it values them and their role in teaching the next generation of registered nurses.
“The power of collective action of Cardiff University’s staff and students has succeeded, but the insult to the profession will remain for years to come.”
A Cardiff UCU spokesperson, similarly, welcomed “parts of the statement” from Professor Larner.
“There remain numerous areas of grave concern for our members about management’s continued programme of cuts,” they said.
“It is good to see that the university has further reduced the number of staff in scope for redundancy and removed some schools and departments’ ‘at risk’ status.”
However, the union said it would continue to “press” the university to take all staff out of scope for redundancy.
The university said it was now aiming to reduce its FTE headcount by 138, rather than 400.
“That reduction will take place over a number of years,” added the spokesperson.
More on the Cardiff proposals
