Betsi Cadwaladr: North Wales NHS board members 'forced to quit'

Senior figures at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board say they were left with "no option" but to resign by the Welsh government after a damning report.

It comes as Health Minister Eluned Morgan announced the board will return to special measures.

But the former independent non-executive board members who resigned they are "gravely concerned".

They said they had repeatedly raised concerns to the Welsh government.

Plaid Cymru said the independent board members had been made "scapegoats".

Meanwhile the Welsh Conservatives said they had no "confidence" in the remaining executives will be able to deliver improvements.

The Welsh government said that the chair, vice chair and independent members of the board "have agreed they will step aside" and new independent members will be appointed.

As part of the changes, chairman Mark Polin has been replaced by Dyfed Edwards.

Betsi Cadwaladr is led by a board of executive directors and independent members - the former group remains in post.

The board had avoided returning to special measures in 2022 despite a string of failings, including on vascular and emergency services.

Special measures means the board comes under more direct control by the Welsh government.

Last week the auditor general Adrian Crompton alleged the executive team of the board was "dysfunctional".

Independent members of the board had been losing confidence in the executive team, Mr Crompton wrote, leading to examples of "challenging public scrutiny of the executive".

That was seen as "hostile and inappropriate" behaviour by some.

There are four levels of Welsh government oversight for health boards in Wales.

These are, in escalating order: routine arrangements, enhanced monitoring, targeted intervention and special measures.

An entire health board can be in special measures, as Betsi Cadwaladr was between 2015 and November 2020, or just specific departments.

Targeted intervention is a heightened level of escalation that requires significant action on the part of the health board and is accompanied by continued Welsh government oversight.

In a letter to politicians the independent board members said they were "left with no option but to resign as independent members with immediate effect" after a meeting with Ms Morgan on Monday.

"We have no confidence in the Welsh government's grasp of the situation," they said.

The board members said they had "tirelessly and repeatedly raised issues of concern, both to the health board executives and also to Welsh government officials, and the minister".

The letter alleged that responsibility for organisational culture, service quality and delivery "have been placed at our door without recognition of the limitation of our powers as independent members".

The board said it had uncovered "serious failings" in board financial management and called a review that discovered at least £122m was allegedly not properly accounted for, triggering a fraud investigation.

"This is under way but has serious implications for other NHS organisations and the government," the letter said.

"However, we are gravely concerned that the minister's response to the Audit Wales report, and her focus on independent members rather than the operational executive and their delivery, exposes patients across north Wales, and the organisation to significant risk going forward."

The Welsh Conservatives said: "We welcome the return to special measures, the Betsi Cadwaldar University Health Board should never have been taken out of them in the first place.

"However, we have no confidence that the current executive team will be able to deliver the improvements required. It is extraordinary that such a dysfunctional team is still permitted to lead this organisation."

Plaid Cymru's health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said: "Rather than pointing the finger of blame at the Board, Welsh government should be looking closer to home. This is as much a failure of ministerial leadership as it is leadership within Betsi Cadwaladr. This all happened on Labour's watch.

"The patients and staff of Betsi Cadwaladr deserve better from their government. The least they deserve is an apology, but what we all need is the government to step up and take responsibility for this mess. The question is what will it take for the health minister consider her own position in the matter?"

Eluned Morgan said in a statement: "I have serious concerns around the performance of the health board and I have not seen the improvement in services I expect for the people of north Wales.

"I have therefore decided to take action to rectify this."

"I have informed the board that I am putting the organisation back into special measures with immediate effect.

"This significant decision is made in line with the escalation framework.

"It reflects serious concerns about the performance of the organisation, about its governance, and issues with leadership and culture that are holding back progress."