Health board bosses grilled over serious concerns on performance and culture

UNDER-FIRE health bosses were grilled by Wales' Health Secretary Jeremy Miles and the new boss of NHS Wales, Jacqueline Totterdell, at a public accountability meeting.

- ELLIE GOSLEY

The health secretary met with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, including the new chair Kirsty Williams, to evaluate their performance.

The meeting on Thursday evening focused on how the health board is meeting waiting times targets; their financial position and outlook; and quality and safety.

Mr Miles also asked the board about the serious concerns raised about its culture.

The board addressed a letter received from senior consultants who raised concerns about the way the health board was run, as well as issues at its operating theatres which were identified in a shocking report earlier this year - including illicit drug use, racism and staff sabotaging each other.

At the beginning of the meeting, the new chair Ms Williams, a former Liberal Democrat Senedd member and education secretary, said she has been in the post for 44 days and described the brief period as a “whirlwind”.

She acknowledged there is “great deal of pressure on services” within the health board, adding there is still “much to be done”.

The meeting comes after a series of incidents at the health board, which serves around 472,400 people living in the Welsh capital and the Vale of Glamorgan, in which staff are alleged to have abused their position of trust.

The report into issues at its operating theatres published earlier this year concluded: “It is not an open and transparent safety culture where people all feel able to speak up freely and feel respected and valued.”

The recent report also found there had been “regular” thefts from the staff changing room, including examples of money, phones, computers and clothing going missing.