Welsh Government Introduces Radical New Public Health Bill

The Health and Social Care Wales Act became law on 1 June 2020. It created the conditions which enabled people in Wales to live healthy lives and protected them from preventable harm.

The radical new public health bill:

  • ensures that National Health Service bodies and ministers think about the quality of health services when making decisions;
  • ensures National Health Service bodies and primary health care providers are open and honest with patients, when something may have gone wrong with their care;
  • creates a new Citizen Voice Body to represent the views of people across health and social care in Wales;
  • supports the appointment of vice chairs for National Health Service trusts.

The radical bill also extended smoke-free areas and introduced a licensing scheme for tattooing.

The Welsh government expects that this radical Welsh law will improve the health of the nation.

For more information, please contact: HSCQualityandEngagement@gov.wales.