Following the recent report on the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy has slammed the Welsh Government for its repeated failures in overseeing the Health Board, leaving patients across North Wales to suffer the consequences of mismanagement, poor leadership, and financial instability.
BCUHB was placed under special measures in February 2023 following serious governance, leadership, and performance failures. Despite years of Welsh Government intervention, the board has continued to struggle, with persistent financial mismanagement, critical safety concerns, and ongoing failures in patient care.
Commenting on this story, Janet said:
"After more than a decade of direct oversight by the Welsh Government, it is undeniable that their approach has been a complete failure.
"Leadership, financial control, and patient safety have all deteriorated, and while there have been some stabilisation efforts, key services remain in crisis. The Health Board failed to meet its statutory financial duties in 2023-24, requiring £11.15 million in emergency funding just to cover its deficit—further proof of long-standing mismanagement.
"Despite repeated warnings, urgent and emergency care is still in chaos, with cancer treatment waiting times falling below target, particularly in urology and dermatology. Mental health services also remain under scrutiny, with less than half of previous recommendations fully implemented, even after the board was placed under special measures.
"The people of North Wales deserve far better than a government that lurches from one crisis to the next. Endless reports, task forces, and so-called ‘action plans’ have done nothing to resolve these deep-rooted failings. The harsh reality is that the Welsh Government has utterly failed to provide the leadership and oversight needed to fix this failing health board.
"Welsh Labour cannot continue to shift blame onto the health board when it is their own lack of oversight and accountability that has caused this crisis in the first place. The people of North Wales deserve a functioning health service, not more mismanagement and political excuses."
ENDS
