National Assembly for Wales / Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru
Health and Social Care Committee/ Y Pwyllgor Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol

Safe Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Bill / Bil Lefelau Diogel Staff Nyrsio (Cymru)

Evidence from North Wales Community Health Council – SNSL(Org) 20 / Tystiolaeth gan Cyngor Iechyd Cymuned Gogledd Cymru – SNSL(Org) 20

Please find the North Wales Community Health Council (NWCHC)’s response to the Safe Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Bill consultation below.  Please note that comments are from individual members of the NWCHC.

· What a Bill Kirsty Williams has introduced. Extremely worthy aims and enormous challenges for the Health Boards in Wales and obviously an effective level of staffing by trained nurses, care assistants and doctors is a prerequisite for good care in our health system. Good Patient Outcomes must be the aim of every health establishment but I wonder how difficult it will be to attract sufficient nursing personnel and contain the undoubted massive increase in costs within already strained financial budgets without an increase in taxation or by achieving a higher level of efficiency within the health service. Obviously the best answer would be to reduce the number of patients by promoting better health, combating obesity and penalising those people who consume too much alcohol and smoke. We are becoming a much more unhealthy nation and unfortunately a much older one.

· It would be great if Kirsty's aims come to fruition.

· Please express the North Wales Community Health Council’s support for the principles of safe nurse staffing levels.