Health Minister Edwina Hart joined nurses and midwives at West Wales General Hospital, Carmarthen as they became the first to wear the new national uniform.
The new-style uniforms have been designed to make it easier for patients to see who is in charge of hospital wards.
In addition, nurses and midwives will be provided with more uniforms and hospitals are working to make on-site laundry and changing facilities available to staff. This should help prevent and control healthcare associated infections.
Wales is the first country in the UK to introduce a national uniform.
The new uniforms are:
- Hospital ward sisters/charge nurses and their deputies - navy blue;
- Clinical Nurse Specialist - royal blue;
- Staff nurse – hospital blue;
- Staff midwives – postman blue;
- Healthcare support workers – green; and
- Nursery nurse – aqua green.
Health Minister, Edwina Hart, said:
“The idea to enhance the role of ward sisters and charge nurses came from frontline nurses in Carmarthen so it is great to return here today to see how the recommendation for a national uniform has become a reality.
“These new-style uniforms are a simple yet effective way to help patients identify who is in charge on a ward as soon as they enter our hospitals.
“Having a consistent design will also make it more cost effective as it allows uniforms to be bulk-purchased.”
Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, Rosemary Kennedy, added:
“It is essential that patients have confidence in the nursing profession. The national uniforms will help to remove any confusion over who is in charge, making it easier for people to direct a query and to have confidence in the reply they receive.”
For Welsh speakers, the bi-lingual sign will also be stitched into the uniforms following a recommendation from Hywel Dda Health Board’s Welsh Language Steering Group and partnership working with the Welsh Language Board.
Chair of the Welsh Language Board, Meri Huws, said:
“Including the Working Welsh logo, showing that a person can speak Welsh, on nurses’ uniforms is a huge step forward, and I would like to congratulate the NHS on this development.
“Discussions between patients and nurses can be highly sensitive, and patients are often feeling vulnerable, therefore it is of the utmost importance that they can discuss matters through the language of their choice. By seeing this logo on a nurse’s uniform, a patient will be comforted by seeing that language choice is available.”