Health and Social Service Workers Honoured For Welsh Language Initiatives

An awards ceremony has been held in Cardiff to recognise and honour health care workers who provide quality health care in the Welsh tongue.  This ceremony comes in the context of the recent report from Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws which highlighted concerns raised by Welsh speaking patients about healthcare services provided in their own language.  

The “Words into Action” conference and “Welsh Language inn Health, Social Services and Social Care Awards” just concluded in Cardiff are intended to strengthen health care services to the Welsh speaking community.  Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for Children and Social Service, is quoted in the  Welsh Icon News:  “With the launch of the “More than Just Wwords” strategy last year, there is now a clear strategy to provide a systemic approach to strengthening the services in Welsh to patients and service users.”

The recent report by Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws cited that 90% of respondents in a survey support the rights of Welsh speakers to enjoy the right to express themselves in Welsh when dealing with health services providers. The Huws report followed on a number of high-profile cases in which Welsh speakers were not provided appropriate services in their language.

 “I have been very concerned to hear of some worrying experiences that Welsh speakers and their families have had to face in not being able to access healthcare appropriate to their needs.”     Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws

http://www.welshicons.org.uk/news/health-workers-recognised-for-welsh-la...

http://www.transceltic.com/blog/report-raises-concerns-about-healthcare-...