Welsh health board 'dragging the good name of the NHS and its staff down'
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been in a heightened state of escalation for the past 11 years11:22, 01 Jul 2026Updated 11:22, 01 Jul 2026Wales' health minister has told a crisis-hit health board. . .
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been in a heightened state of escalation for the past 11 years11:22, 01 Jul 2026Updated 11:22, 01 Jul 2026Wales' health minister has told a crisis-hit health board it is being given a "final chance" to improve and stop "dragging the good name of theNHSdown". Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been in a heightened state of escalation for the past 11 years and at the highest level of escalation - level 5 - since February 2023. Support and finances have been ploughed into the health board over the past three years but issues remain with leadership, governance, performance and delivery. Health minister Mabon ap Gwynfor has told the Senedd that outcomes for patients "remain below the standard people in the north of Wales should expect". For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. He said he was not criticising staff, but that "the previous government repeatedly tried arms-length initiatives to make a difference, without sustained success. The lack of progress cannot and will not be allowed to continue". He said: "This government will not tolerate the failings of the past 11 years. It's an injustice for patients, their families and the hard-working staff working across health and care in the north of Wales. "I am fed up of 'Betsi' being a byword for dysfunction and declining standards, dragging the good name of theNHSand its hardworking staff down in the process. "That’s why I am today announcing my decision to instigate new measures to stabilise services, strengthen leadership and hold Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to account for sustained improvement, as part of the ongoing level 5 escalation at the health board. "This is a serious intervention, reflecting the persistent and unresolved concerns. "Previous arrangements have relied on the health board identifying and delivering its own recovery, with support alongside it. "That approach has not delivered the scale or pace of change required. This intervention moves beyond that model to one where action is more directly led. "He told the Senedd: "This is the board’s final chance to demonstrate that they can deliver the consistent high standards of care that people in north Wales deserve. As both the First Minister and I have made abundantly clear, all options will be considered if progress is not at the scale and pace that we expect to see. "Reform UK health spokesman James Evans said: "I welcome the fact that the Minister is taking further action on Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, but the people in north Wales have heard strong words before. They have heard promises of improvement before. "They have seen reviews, action plans, escalation frameworks and outside support for years but after 11 years of escalation and more than three years back in level 5 special measures, we are still talking about serious failures in leadership, governance, performance and patient safety. The key question today is simple: what will be different this time?"The health minister admitted that the way health boards are put into escalation is being monitored. He said: "There's a distinct difference here where measures deployed previously allowed the health board to lead its own recovery and identify its own problems. "In this instance, we're saying, 'No, we know what the problems are. You're not going to lead that recovery yourself. We are telling you that you will have to improve on cancer diagnostics and cancer treatment. You're going to have to improve on ambulance handover and ED performance. ' So, that's where the targets are coming in. "InterimLabourleader Ken Skates said: "Is this the executives' final chance too? I know that in previous Senedd terms, Members have argued that the board members, who have suffered in the past from being dismissed, have sometimes covered for, if you like, or taken the bullets for the executives. Is it the executive team's final warning today?"Article continues belowThe health minister said they were looking at when, and if, decisions would be made about reorganising the health board. He said an expert team will take recommendations to him. "We will make a decision based on the evidence given in front of us," he said.