Looking for a new role in environmental health?
Whether you're just starting out or ready for your next step, EHN Jobs connects you with the latest opportunities in environmental health across the UK.
Senedd manifesto: Wellness Wales
A practical vision to strengthen environmental health and build a fairer, healthier Wales for all.
Senedd manifesto: Wellness Wales
Wellness Wales: Priorities in Environmental Health for the next Welsh Government sets out how Wales can reduce health inequalities, strengthen safeguards for consumers and build a sustainable environmental health community that prevents avoidable illnesses and protects the public. Developed by environmental health professionals from across Wales, we are inviting Welsh political parties to support the health of the nation by committing to back the policies included in the report.
Why environmental health matters ahead of the 2026 Senedd elections
Environmental health underpins the wellbeing of every community in Wales. It protects the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat, while addressing the conditions that influence our health - from housing quality to environmental safety.
The next Senedd elections will take place on 7 May 2026, bringing an expanded chamber and a new voting system that will shape long‑term decisions affecting the health and resilience of communities across Wales. Wellness Wales sets out a clear path for the next Welsh Government to ensure that environmental health practitioners have the support, resources and workforce needed to safeguard people across the nation.
As parties develop their own manifestos, it is vital they understand how central environmental health is to Wales' future.
Our priorities for the next Welsh Government
The manifesto outlines three key areas where action is urgently needed.
There is a growing shortage of environmental health practitioners across Wales, with recruitment challenges, pay disparities and limited access to training pathways. This impacts everything from housing enforcement to food safety and public health protection.
We are calling for:
- Investment in apprenticeships, training and career development
- Support for fair pay and improved staff retention
- A national workforce strategy aligned with public health priorities
- Backing for a Level 6 Apprenticeship in Environmental Health
Environmental health is central to tackling the social determinants of health. Wales continues to face stark inequalities, with deprived communities disproportionately exposed to pollution, unsafe housing and environmental risks.
We are calling for:
- Stronger enforcement of housing regulations and investment in energy efficiency
- Targeted action in the communities most affected by pollution, noise and poor housing, with stronger support for local authorities to fully staff their environmental health teams
Everyone in Wales should be able to trust the food they eat and the buildings they live or work in. While most food businesses meet required standards, too many are starting to trade before being checked, and hundreds fall below minimum hygiene expectations.
We are calling for:
- A new 'permit to trade' system so food businesses are inspected before commencing trade
- Support for multidisciplinary teams in local authorities so they have the expertise and capacity needed to meet new building safety duties
How the environmental health community can support Wellness Wales
What you can do
We are encouraging political parties, candidates and campaigners to recognise the vital role of environmental health. The environmental health community can help by:
- Sharing the manifesto with colleagues, networks and local representatives
- Asking candidates how they plan to support environmental health in the next Senedd
- Raising awareness that environmental health protects what matters most to everyone in Wales
Questions to ask candidates
When you speak to candidates or canvassers, you can also use these simple questions to understand whether they are likely to support the ambitions of Wellness Wales:
- What are your plans to ensure that everyone in Wales lives in a decent home?
- Will you support calls to make sure that food providers are checked before selling food to the public?
- There are shortages in the environmental health workforce. Will you help us fill the gaps so that we can keep Wales well?
These conversations help ensure that environmental health remains a priority for the next Welsh Government - protecting communities, tackling inequalities and keeping Wales well.
Share your conversations with us
If you do speak with a candidate or canvasser, we'd be keen to hear about your conversation. Please email us at [email protected] and let us know which party you spoke to - and, if it was a candidate, who they were. It's also helpful to know which constituency you are in, but if you're not sure, just include your postcode.
Our shared vision
Environmental health is not a luxury - it is a necessity. As Wales looks to the future, we must invest in the people and systems that protect health, reduce inequalities and build resilient communities. This manifesto calls on all parties contesting the 2026 Senedd elections to commit to these priorities.
Together, we can create Wellness Wales.
