NHS Wales Employers

Supporting the strategic agenda of the NHS in Wales from an NHS employers’ perspective.

NHS Wales Employers

Established in February 2009, the strategic driving force behind the work of NHS Wales Employers is the principle that good quality patient care relies upon a strong, motivated and skilled workforce to deliver it.

Our work and general role is to support the strategic agenda of the NHS in Wales from an NHS employers’ perspective, recognising the central role of the workforce in facilitating service change and consequently ensuring that the NHS is a place where people want to work and an employer of choice.

We can be contacted using the shared mailbox nhswe.governance@wales.nhs.uk

NHS Wales - Employing organisations
How is NHS structured in Wales
Our work
What are we aiming to achieve?
- We aim to represent NHS organisations in Wales on workforce issues at a strategic level.
- help employers to make the most of the potential of their workforce.
- ensure the NHS is a place where people want to work; and as a consequence, improve the quality of service and provide better patient care.
NHS Wales Employers is hosted by the Welsh NHS Confederation.
Our key remit includes
Effective Employee and Employer Relations
- Leading the national collective relationships with trade unions with Health Boards and Trusts on pay, terms and conditions and pensions.
- Leading the employers’ contribution to social partnership, working at a national level with trade union partners in developing and implementing policy and programmes that impact on the healthcare workforce.
- Co-ordinating the development and review of workplace policies, guidance, position statements and other tangible products on behalf of employers in partnership with trade unions and WG.
- Brokering and facilitating relationships between key parties in the development of policy and good practice.
- Project managing complex negotiations.
Improved Employer Representation
1. Collating and conveying the opinions of Welsh employers in UK discussions on pay, terms and conditions and pensions, reporting back on emerging policy.
2. Co-ordinating and representing the interests of Health Boards and Trusts in influencing and developing employment policy.
3. Preparing media responses on collective HR and workforce issues.
Identification and Sharing of Good Practice
1. Horizon scanning for issues that will have a potential impact on Health Boards & Trusts, identifying the implications of these and determining proposed courses of action.
2. Acting as a resource in developing and interpreting good practice in employment policy and practice.
Co-ordinated Approach to Workforce & OD Matters
1. Acting as a point of contact for collective workforce issues for NHS organisations, trade unions, Welsh Government and other stakeholders.
2. Providing impartial advice, support and guidance to the service on workforce matters and in particular to Directors of Workforce & OD through its stewardship of the Directors’ peer group.
3. Undertaking commissions for specialist one off pieces of work, as appropriate.
4. Providing a secretariat and coordinating function for the W&OD Directors peer group and to the Deputy Directors.