Betsi's chair says people ‘think they can have a free swipe at NHS’

THE chair of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has slammed politicians he referred to as “certain people” for thinking “they can have a free swipe” at the NHS.

- Richard Evans

Dyfed Edwards was speaking to members at a meeting at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on critics making “noise” that was “unacceptable”.

His claim follows the health board being in special measures for most of the last 10 years, with both Conwy and Denbighshire county councils having declared a health emergency.

Conwy County Council's leader Cllr Julie Fallon had described health care in the region as “third world” and complained of patients now being cared for in hospital ward corridors - a claim the health board denied - as well as A&E corridors.

Conwy County Council said that the health emergency followed BCUHB “now having the highest numbers of preventable deaths in Wales’ citing Section 28 of the Coroners’ Reports, with many directly attributed to prolonged waits. Denbighshire County Council also declared a “health emergency” in November.

But the board brought up negative media publicity around the NHS before Christmas. Some members speculated as to why this had occurred, referring to a report stating there was “an increase in negative sentiment in November and December".