Senedd rejects inquiry decade after Betsi went into special measures

SENEDD members rejected calls for a public inquiry ahead of the ten-year anniversary of ministers placing Betsi Cadwaladr university health board into special measures.

- By CHRIS HAINES ICNN Senedd Reporter

Gareth Davies led a Conservative debate calling for a public inquiry, with Sunday marking the unwelcome milestone of a decade in special measures for the north Wales health board.

Mr Davies, who worked for the NHS before his election in 2021, warned the health board remains mired in systemic failure, “with no clear timeline for recovery.”

He said: “A decade on, the Welsh Government has acknowledged that Betsi could languish in this state indefinitely. This is not just a failure of management, it’s a failure of accountability, leadership and political will under Labour's stewardship.”

The Vale of Clwyd Senedd member argued a public inquiry is needed to uncover the root causes of the prolonged crisis and deliver justice for the people of north Wales.

“The evidence is damning,” he said. “When combined, Betsi has spent longer in special measures than any other organisation in the history of the NHS.

“Political expediency saw the Welsh Government prematurely lift Betsi out of special measures - only for dire realities, safety breaches, patient harm and operational chaos to force its reinstatement back in 2023.”

Mr Davies told the Senedd only two people were waiting longer than two years for treatment in June 2015, compared with 5,747 today - “a staggering 287,250% increase”.