Health and Social Care workers helped to find their Welsh voice

Health and social care staff are boosting their confidence to use Welsh with patients and colleagues, thanks to a Welsh Government programme aimed at strengthening language choice across the NHS and care services.

New figures show that between 2023 and 2025, around 1,500 workers enrolled on Codi Hyder confidence-building courses, while a further 6,000 staff took part in the wider Learn Welsh programme for the health and social care sector.

The Codi Hyder scheme, delivered by the National Centre for Learning Welsh in partnership with health boards and funded by Welsh Government, is designed for staff who have some Welsh but feel hesitant about using it in clinical or sensitive settings.

Participants receive one-to-one or small-group support over 10 to 12 weeks, followed by ongoing guidance to help them incorporate Welsh naturally into daily interactions.

An evaluation of the 2024–25 courses shows a significant impact: more than 90% of participants said they now feel more confident speaking Welsh with colleagues, while 88% said they were more comfortable using the language with patients and families.

One staff member who has benefited is Julie Matthias, a bereavement counsellor at Hywel Dda University Health Board.

While she had long used Welsh with children, she felt far less confident offering support in Welsh to adults. The course allowed her to practise work-specific conversations and develop vocabulary around grief and self-care.

Flexible 

“The sessions were flexible and tailored to my needs,” she said. “Being able to focus on the vocabulary of grief, bereavement and self-care has been very helpful in my work.”

Julie now routinely initiates conversations in Welsh with colleagues and offers Welsh-medium counselling to families who want it.

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Welsh Language Mark Drakeford said the findings demonstrate how practical investment can strengthen bilingual care.

“Julie’s experience shows how support of this kind can make a real difference,” he said. “Being able to speak to patients and families in the language they feel most comfortable using is an important part of delivering good care, especially when people are vulnerable.”

The announcement comes as Wales marks the Use Your Welsh (Uffygia dy Gymraeg) campaign and the 20th anniversary of the Iaith Gwaith (Working Welsh) badge, which identifies staff who can offer Welsh-language services.

Dona Lewis, Chief Executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, said interest in the health-sector courses continues to grow.

“We’re pleased to support workers across Wales to use more of the language,” she said. “We look forward to expanding our services further to help strengthen bilingual skills across the workforce.”

Click here to read more about the confidence building courses: dysgcymraeg.cymru/cymraeg-work/health-care-plan/confidence-building-courses