Shadow Welsh Conservative Health Minister, Angela Burns, is infuriated that at this time when honesty and cooperation is needed more than ever, Welsh NHS bosses are preventing concerned Welsh NHS staff from speaking out to the media.
Media Guidelines from NHS Wales, issued to the press, state that journalists must “make it clear to staff that there should be no unauthorised interviews given to the press/media.”
Commenting, Angela Burns AM, said:
“This Labour Welsh Government has forgotten that its priority, its focus in Wales, is meant to be ensuring that our Welsh NHS delivers the health care that the people of Wales deserve, not just now at this critical time but all year round.
“I would say I’m outraged however, this gagging order doesn’t surprise me. Last year they announced the scrapping of the Community Health Councils in Wales, getting rid of people who are there to hold our NHS to account and instead relying on more Welsh Government appointees to do the job instead.
“And earlier this year when we wanted to increase openness and honesty in the Welsh NHS our amendments were rejected by the Labour Health Minister.
“How can our Welsh NHS improve if the staff can’t speak out when things are going wrong, when they’ve exhausted all avenues internally to bring about change within. Our Welsh NHS staff are the backbone of the Welsh NHS, they know where the problems are and they know how to fix them, so lets give them that voice for positive change.”
The Welsh Conservatives are committed to investing in Patient Watchdogs and will end the Welsh Government appointments to health boards and will protect the independence and capacity of Wales’ Community Health Council. There will also be a duty on all Welsh NHS staff to disclose and record when things go wrong in the Welsh NHS so that the Welsh NHS can learn from accidents made.