Cross Party Group Examines Health Care Support Workers, Wales

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 13 Oct 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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The next meeting of the Cross-Party Assembly Group on Nursing, chaired by Val Lloyd AM, will focus on the role of Health Care Support Workers (HCSWs) in healthcare.

Health Care Support Workers or Health Care Assistants are an intrinsic and growing part of our healthcare workforce but often there is confusion over what this role means in practice and is often an undervalued and low paid role. The Royal College of Nursing considers healthcare support workers to be part of the nursing family and they are full members of the College. We support consistent roles, better access to training and regulation of this nascent profession to protect not only the public but also the healthcare support workers themselves.

Tina Donnelly, RCN Wales Director, said: "The Royal College of Nursing believes that HCSWs undertake skilled work which is valued highly by patients. Their role should be supported with the recognition of competency and experience and access to further education and training. We believe that HCSWs should, for public protection be regulated and that those who deliver clinical care as part of the nursing team should be regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council."

Val Lloyd AM said: "I support the RCN's campaign for a better recognition of the role played by Healthcare Support Workers. It is important to acknowledge the value of the work they carry out. However, greater consistency is needed across the board. That is why I agree that HCSWs should be properly regulated, which will give them access to better training and career development opportunities, while at the same time protecting patients when things go wrong."

The Cross Party Assembly Group on Nursing provides an opportunity for Assembly Members of all parties to meet and discuss a shared interest in a particular nursing or healthcare issue.

Notes

The term Health Care Support Worker (HCSW) covers a wide range of roles including portering, catering, administrative and clerical staff as well as those in assistant roles to health professionals. In fact the term 'health care support worker' is not universally applied so that people undertaking the same work and role may be known variously as health care assistants, care assistants or support workers, or nursing assistants, physiotherapy assistants etc.

HCSWs whose routine duties are delegated to them by a registered nurse or who have a health and social care qualification, are part of the nursing family and are eligible for membership of the Royal College of Nursing.

Source
Royal College of Nursing