The Welsh Government has announced a major intervention at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, taking a more direct role in overseeing improvements after concluding that previous recovery arrangements have failed to deliver the pace or scale of change needed for patients in north Wales.
Health and Care Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor said the Health Board continues to fall short of the standards people deserve and warned that the current situation “can no longer continue.”
Betsi Cadwaladr has been in a heightened state of escalation for 11 years and has remained at the highest intervention level – Level 5 – since February 2023.
Unlike previous approaches, which relied on the Health Board leading its own recovery with external support, the Welsh Government will now direct how improvement is delivered by setting clear expectations, deploying targeted expertise and maintaining close oversight of progress.
As part of the intervention, a comprehensive review of the Health Board’s current position will examine operational challenges, the quality of patient care, strategic direction, leadership, governance, organisational culture and board capability.
An independent panel of experts will carry out the assessment and produce evidence-based recommendations for the Cabinet Minister, with a final report expected by the end of October.
NHS Wales Performance and Improvement (NHSWPI) has also been tasked with supporting the Health Board in key areas including planned care, diagnostics and cancer services, while additional resources will be deployed over the coming months.
The organisation will also help establish a new Urgent and Emergency Care Improvement Team, led by a senior expert, following recent concerns raised by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales.
Earlier this year, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales designated the Emergency Department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd as a “service requiring significant improvement” – its highest level of concern – less than two years after it had previously been removed from that status.
Announcing the intervention, Health and Care Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor said:
“People in north Wales are waiting too long to be able to access the care and treatment they need. This is not a reality the public should be asked to accept, and it is not one this Government will accept either.
“This is the Board’s final chance to demonstrate they can deliver the consistent high standards of care that the people of north Wales deserve.”
He added:
“Today’s announcement 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 has not worked.
“This new plan represents a clear departure from the failed approaches of the past. We are not simply asking the organisation to improve; we are directing them on how that improvement happens. That means setting clear expectations, providing targeted expertise, and maintaining close and continuous oversight of delivery.
“It is a clear statement of my commitment to supporting improvement and ensuring the people of north Wales receive the safe, high-quality and timely care they deserve.”
The announcement has been welcomed by Clwyd MS Becca Martin, who said the Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government was taking decisive action after years of what she described as Labour’s failure to improve NHS services in north Wales.
She said:
“For too many years, Labour have failed to deliver improvements to the NHS in north Wales. This new approach from the Plaid Cymru government will truly get to grips with the longstanding issues with healthcare in north Wales.
“It’s not fair that thousands of patients in north Wales have to wait over two years to be seen by the NHS, which is why Plaid Cymru is taking urgent steps to get to grips with the issues facing Betsi Cadwaladr, something that was missing under Labour over their decades in power.
“Betsi Cadwaladr has officially been put on notice by Plaid Cymru. We will not let the residents of north Wales suffer because of the failings of the Health Board any longer.”
The intervention represents a significant change in the Welsh Government’s approach to improving Betsi Cadwaladr. Rather than relying on the Health Board to lead its own recovery, ministers will play a more active role in directing how improvements are delivered while holding the organisation to account for progress.
