Wales First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has said his government is ready to break up Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board if it does not show real change within the next two years. The health board has spent most of the past decade in special measures, but those interventions have so far failed to deliver the significant improvements wanted by both staff and patients.
Background of the health board
Betsi Cadwaladr was established in 2009, replacing the North Wales NHS Trust, North West Wales NHS Trust, and six local health boards. As Plaid Cymru's health spokesman in opposition, Mr ap Iorwerth regularly called for it to be split back into smaller health boards.
The First Minister was asked by North Wales Live if that remained his view today. Speaking ahead of Plaid Cymru's party conference in Llandudno, he said: "I'm essentially in the same place as when I was health spokesman, we have to be ready to take that step to break Betsi up, give us a new health landscape for Wales."
Last chance saloon
He added: "We have said that they are now on notice, if they cannot turn things around. We have to give it a go (under current board), we are a new government coming in, we have laid out plans for the NHS Wales wide and have put specific measures in place to directly intervene in Betsi, to get it to raise its game in so many ways for the sake of the brilliant staff, and the patients."
Mr ap Iorwerth continued: "But we've been very, very clear, we're in the last chance saloon. This is a health board on notice, and if rearranging the way it operates is what we decide we must do, we will do it. We are clear on that."
Timescale for change
On the timescale he would allow before taking that step, he said: "We've talked in terms of needing to give it maybe a couple of years. I think most people understand that these things don't get changed overnight."
He added: "But it's not a case of waiting two years for signs of change. We need to see those signs of change very, very soon and that is why the health minister has made it so clear that he wants to get as personally involved as possible in supporting and encouraging the health board and executives to give the people of North Wales the fresh start that they deserve."
