Health board monitoring reduced after improvements to children’s mental health services

Nation.Cymru staff

Welsh Government monitoring of children’s mental health services at a health board has been stepped down after improvements were maintained for three months.

Swansea Bay University Health Board’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have moved to Level 1, although the health board remains at higher escalation levels over its finances and a number of other services.

Health and Care Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor announced the change in a written statement on Wednesday.

Mr ap Gwynfor said: “Their performance has improved and been maintained over the past three months, in line with the de-escalation criteria they were set.

“I would like to thank the organisation and their clinical teams for their increased focus on improving timely access and mental health care for children and young people.”

The improvement does not mean monitoring has been reduced in other areas.

Swansea Bay remains at Level 4 for finance, strategy and planning; maternity and neonatal services; and performance and outcomes relating to cancer, hospital-acquired infections and urgent and emergency care.

It is also at Level 3 for planned care.

Under the Welsh Government’s escalation system, Level 4 applies where serious concerns have been identified. Support can include mentoring, specialist advice and external review work.

Level 5 is reserved for exceptional circumstances involving very serious concerns, when Welsh ministers can use formal intervention powers.

The change comes as Swansea Bay continues to face significant financial pressures.

In June, the health board revealed plans to reduce its workforce by around 800 full-time equivalent posts over three years as it attempts to return to financial balance by 2028-29.

The board is forecasting a £76.6m deficit for 2026-27 and has set a £65m savings target.

That follows a £112m overspend across the three years to 2025-26. Accounts approved in June also showed the board had received £74m in Welsh Government financial support which it will not have to repay.

Of the planned workforce reduction, 550 posts are expected to come from the permanent workforce, with the remaining 250 from what the NHS calls “variable pay” – temporary staffing such as agency and bank workers.

The health board employs more than 13,000 people.

‘Disappointing’

It has also faced concerns over cancer performance and maternity services.

At its June meeting, the board acknowledged its cancer performance had been “disappointing”, while members also heard a further apology over failings in maternity care.

NHS organisations in Wales are assessed under the escalation system in areas including governance, leadership and culture, performance and outcomes, finance and planning, quality of care and fragile services.

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