Council and health board staff involved in ‘hand-to-hand fighting’

Richard Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

A north Wales council and the area’s health board are in “litigation” over care fees, a councillor claims.

Abergele councillor Paul Luckock said Conwy County Council staff are involved in “almost hand-to-hand fighting” with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board over “unpaid” care fees for the vulnerable.

Cllr Luckock made the claim at a full council meeting yesterday, where councillors unanimously backed a motion stating North Wales was in a “health emergency”.

The authority’s chief executive Rhun ap Gareth refused to engage with the allegation, despite persistent questioning from the councillor.

Cllr Luckock asked the CEO if his council staff were “often involved in almost hand-to-hand fighting with Betsi to get the appropriate care and treatment for some of our most vulnerable residents and getting their appropriate financial contributions to that care and treatment”.

He added: “My best understanding is we are now at the stage where we are actually involved in litigation with Betsi to get them to pay their appropriate amounts for the care and treatment.”

Mr ap Gareth refused to give the councillor a direct answer. He said: “I think we need to be careful here that we are drifting away from the notice itself. And your questions are very specific, Cllr Paul (Luckock), and I understand why you ask them, but the nature of the notice of motion does not relate to these elements…

“I would just make the point quickly that there is a really good relationship with staff on the ground in terms of Betsi Cadwaladr, and they work daily with those teams, and there are frustrations.

“I don’t think it is appropriate in these circumstances to talk about ongoing litigation even if I knew the detail of it, so I would strongly suggest that we stick to the notice itself for this meeting.

“If you want to raise those specific questions outside (of the meeting), by all means do.”

Cllr Luckock responded: “I think as a council we need to fully understand the detail of that, and I would ask the chief exec to make a decision on how best he can report to us on that going forward.”

The health board was approached for comment.

At yesterday’s meeting councillors unanimously supported a “health emergency” notice of motion calling for community hospital beds to be reopened, an end to corridor care in emergency departments, an immediate halt to premature patient discharges, and the reinstatement of the stalled Conwy West Health Centre project and its funding.