Members Meeting July 2021

All members meeting 

Tuesday 6 July 2021 7pm via ZOOM

Present: Alison Scouller (Chair), Linda Lewis, Sue Thomas, Tony Beddow (TB), Christine Bryan,  Mike Bird, Donna Hutton, Brian Gibbons, June Clarke, Adrian Sharratt, Hugh Pattrick, Fran Griffiths, Ruth Sharratt, David Smith, Jill Oke

Apologies: Uta Clay, Bob Clay, , Mike Hedges, Pip Ford, Billie Hunter, Sean Thompson

  1. Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.
  2. Notes of last meeting and matters arising
  3. Need to add action following meeting
  4. REAP – AS submitted response then submission date extended. Responses received from 3 co-opted  members of working group after request to view recording of May 25th SEA/SHA meeting. AS to finalise submission to WG after further consultation with working group and for it then to go on SHAC website.
  5. LL explained reason for ALN FOI and SEA involvement. Some of the responses around waiting times were questionable. Follow up suggestions included starting a petition for action, contacting chair of Labour Group, ask Health Minister to speed up review, or Health and Social Care committee at Senedd.
  6. TB explained need to alter current constitution due to SHA becoming a company by guarantee. There has been some discussion with Scotland about the Nation approach. Scotland and Wales feel it should be UK wide and include NI. The percentage of fees to Nations should reflect work in Nations. There needs to be clarity of terminology regarding officers. There was a discussion about allowing members from other parties to be members of SHA, but some felt that this would jeopardize affiliation to Labour Party. It was agreed that members should not be presented with a block constitution at the SGM. SO and SFI should not be part of constitution as any minor changes would need two-thirds majority. There was some discussion about the purpose of SHA – is it a lobbying group and what power does it have.
  7. AS and TB met with Scotland SHA officers mainly to discuss UK constitution. It was agreed to have another joint members meeting later in 2021.
  8. Treasurer’s report – current balance £695.90. Affiliation fees for CLP delegates due end of August. Annual accounts will start to be audited in preparation for AGM. ST to contact SHA UK Treasurer for clarification of financial year.
  9. Way forward for future meetings – invite Health Minister to AGM, continue with Zoom in conjunction with face-to-face meetings, invite MS’s on Health and Social Care committee to meetings. Future speakers to include Dr Bob Gill on NHS England, Mark Drakeford re 20-point plan, Mick Antoniw re constitutional convention, organiser of Cardiff NHS rally, Stephen Frith on digital inclusion.

New members meeting 22/7/21 to be opened to all members.

Newsletter – LL asked if useful, silence was the reply. TB offered contribution, AS and TB positive re newsletter and suggested adding humour. 

Suggestion of fringe event at Welsh Labour conference.

  • AOB – Ruth Sharratt proposed motion, seconded by Donna Hutton, as follows:

“ The SHA opposes mandatory Covid 19 vaccination of NHS staff and care workers. The choice must be left to the individual and no coercion should be applied including any restriction of work opportunities if a person does not wish to be vaccinated.

As with any medical intervention, fully informed consent should be sought before the vaccine is given.

This SHA agrees to give its full support to the Trade Union demands that staff who do wish to be vaccinated then it should be made freely available but there should be no discrimination between staff who have been vaccinated and those who have not. 

This SHA agrees to use it influences with the Labour Party to seek unequivocal support and political resistance against any proposal to make vaccines mandatory. ”

After discussion it was agreed required further debate and it was agreed to postpone to a future meeting.

Meeting closed at 8.37pm