Chief executive of Welsh health board in special measures to step down

Nation.Cymru Staff

The chief executive of Wales’ largest health board is set to leave after three and a half years to take up a new role in England, following a turbulent period for the organisation which remains in special measures.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has announced that its Chief Executive, Carol Shillabeer, will leave the organisation, having been successfully appointed as Chief Executive of Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust in North West England.

Shillabeer joined Betsi Cadwaladr UHB as Interim Chief Executive in May 2023, during a period of significant organisational challenge and shortly after the Health Board had been placed in Special Measures.

Dyfed Edwards, Chair of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to congratulate Carol on her appointment.

“Carol joined Betsi Cadwaladr at an exceptionally challenging point in the organisation’s history and has provided committed and determined leadership over the past three and a half years.

“Considerable work remains to be done and we are very clear that our improvement journey continues.

“The Board will now consider the appropriate leadership arrangements and will communicate these once the necessary processes have been completed.

“I would like to thank Carol for her service to the Health Board and to the people of North Wales, and wish her every success in her new role.”

Special Measures

The board, which provides services for up to 700,000 people in north Wales, was placed in Special Measures in February 2023 “in response to serious concerns” about board effectiveness, organisational culture, service quality and reconfiguration, governance, patient safety, operational delivery, leadership and financial management.

As Wales’ largest health board, with 19,000 staff, it had “by far the largest proportion, and the longest waits, in Wales,” according to a report in October 2025.

Despite an acknowledgment of improvement, the Welsh Government has said “serious concerns remain especially in relation to operational performance and timely access to safe and quality planned care and urgent and emergency care”.

The board remains in special measures (Level 5), the highest level of NHS intervention in Wales, and undergoes quarterly special measures review meetings chaired by senior Welsh Government officials.

‘Privilege’

Carol Shillabeer said: “It has been an enormous privilege to serve as Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. 

“I am very proud of what colleagues across the organisation have achieved during an extremely demanding period. I have seen at first hand the commitment of our staff to patients, families and communities across North Wales.

“The opportunity to become Chief Executive of Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust is an exciting next step for me professionally, but leaving Betsi Cadwaladr and the many people I have worked alongside will not be easy.

“I am grateful to the Chair, Board, Executive Team and colleagues right across the organisation for their support, challenge and commitment over the past three and a half years.”

Carol Shillabeer will be joining the new organisation early in the new year and will remain engaged in her role as Chief Executive until that time.

The Health Board will announce interim and longer-term leadership arrangements in due course.