Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is to be taken out of special measures after more than five years, the Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething has confirmed today (Tuesday 24th November).
The health board will be de-escalated from special measures to ‘targeted intervention’ with immediate effect. Services including maternity and out-of-hours, have already come out of special measures in 2019.
Vaughan Gething, said: “I have decided that Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will come out of special measures and move into targeted intervention. My decision is informed by the advice I received following a meeting between the Chief Exec of NHS Wales, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and Audit Wales.
“We have seen improvements across the health board and have greater confidence that it will make further progress. Throughout the pandemic the organisation has worked hard to play its role in caring for people affected by the virus. During what has been an unsettling time for public health across the world, I’m pleased to announce this positive news for North Wales and NHS Wales.
“I want to thank everyone at the health board who has contributed to improving services. The progress has only been made because of the commitment and hard work of our staff. Whilst there has been improvement, there are still areas of concern such as mental health and the health board fully recognises there is still further work to do. Targeted intervention is still a heightened level of escalation that requires significant action on the part of the health board.
“The Welsh Government has committed a further £82m per year over three-and-a-half years to support the health board as it enters a new phase under targeted intervention and continues its ongoing work to improve. This substantial investment will be used to improve unscheduled care; build sustainable planned care, including orthopaedics; and deliver improvements in mental health services.”
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Chairman Mark Polin and Acting Chief Executive Gill Harris said in a joint statement: “We welcome this significant announcement and continued support from Welsh Government. We are encouraged by the growing confidence in our plans to make strategic longer term improvements while acknowledging that there is much more to do.
“The package of support recently announced by Welsh Government will help us to build on work to develop transformational and sustainable solutions to long term challenges in unscheduled care, diagnostics, planned care and mental health services.
“We are confident that our ambitious plans for the future will improve patient experience and waiting times. These include the establishment of Diagnostic and Treatment Centres and driving forward the business case for a North Wales Medical and Health Science School.
“We are hugely proud that colleagues across the organisation have risen to the challenge of COVID-19 and have displayed positivity, resilience and a commitment to patients in the most difficult of circumstances. We thank them for everything they have done to care for patients and keep our communities safe.
“There is a lot more work ahead but we are confident that with the support of our staff, partners, and public, the much-needed transformation of health services across North Wales will be achieved.”
Responding to the news, Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for Health Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said: “Today’s announcement comes as a surprise given that only a few weeks ago the Health Minister stated that not enough improvements had been made to exit special measures. We were told there were still big challenges to overcome, not least in mental health.
“Through continued targeted intervention, Labour Ministers remain responsible for what happens in terms of strategic direction and the delivery of services in the north, and after 5 and a half years of special measures, patients can be forgiven for being sceptical about what today’s announcement will actually mean in terms of improvements to services.
“Plaid Cymru believes that the board’s problems are chronic and structural, and that major changes are still required. That’s why we say it’s time for a fresh start, with new health and care structures serving the north instead of the current Board which is too large and remote from the communities it serves. Patents and staff deserve better, and I thank those hard working frontline staff for their work and commitment during such a difficult year.”
