Campaigning public services union, UNISON Cymru/Wales, has given a warm welcome to the appointment of Vaughan Gething AM as Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport and Rebecca Evans AM as Minister for Social Services and Public Health. UNISON had a positive working relationship with the last Labour Welsh Government and with outgoing Health Minister Mark Drakeford AM, who with Vaughan, attached real importance to listening to the views of healthcare workers and their union representatives.
UNISON lead organiser on Health, Donna Hutton said,
“Rebecca and Vaughan are talented politicians and we look forward to working closely together. After some delay at the Senedd, we can now get on with working to improve the Welsh NHS.
“UNISON Cymru/Wales developed a campaign manifesto ahead of the Welsh Assembly Elections and in particular we will be looking for progress on the integration of health and social care and the implementation of an Ethical Care Charter across the NHS and care sectors which places the needs of care users, dignity of patients and investment in the workforce above making a profit. Concerted action must also be taken to reduce agency costs. We will be looking for an early meeting with the Minister to take these issues forward.”
During the Welsh Assembly Elections, UNISON Cymru/Wales promoted #iamthewelshnhs. The campaign message was that it is the contribution of every single one of Wales’ thousands of health workers that makes our NHS a success and the union urged politicians to celebrate their efforts and not play politics with the health service.