Today is National Health and Social Care Professional (HSCP) Day 2024. I want to take this occasion to celebrate your work and talk to you about your role in Fórsa. 

Thousands of Health and Social Care Professionals, across 18 different professions, are members of Fórsa. Through your membership, you are working together to make your voice heard on the issues that matter to you. It is a privilege to watch this in action and support you.

Whether it's clinical engineers reforming their national professional committee, audiologists refusing to give up on their unified career structure, therapy professions seeking the implementation of the career pathway review, social care workers getting organised for statutory regulation or psychologists seeking meaningful engagement on the future of their profession – you are all making a real difference to your working lives through your activism with Fórsa. 

You are also having a positive impact on the public services you deliver – nowhere is this felt more strongly than in the area of children’s disability services where you have collectively been consistent advocates for your service users, colleagues and the essential service you provide. 

We all know that the challenges in the health sector are hard to navigate and much is unknown in regard to imminent restructuring and funding. What is known, however, is that when you come together as HSCPs within your union, you can make real and meaningful change happen to the benefit of your working life and the lives of your colleagues. 

I am excited to continue this journey with you over the year ahead. 

Yours in solidarity,

Linda Kelly 

National Secretary