Edwina Hart, health minister for Wales, has agreed to implement both a code of conduct for HCSWs and a code of practice for NHS employers. The Welsh Assembly will now set up a multidisciplinary group to consider implementation.
RCN Wales welcomed the decision, arguing that it would help protect patient safety.
‘We've fought long and hard to have healthcare supporter workers regulated,’ said deputy director Richard Jones. ‘They should be supported with recognition of their competence and experience, and access to further education and training.’
He called for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to regulate HSCWs throughout the UK.
The NMC does not currently have a mandate to regulate HCSWs.
Wales to regulate healthcare support workers
Wales is to become the first country in the UK to regulate healthcare support workers (HCSW).
