Reform calls for English NHS team to take over struggling Welsh health board
Alec Doyle – Local democracy reporter
Reform Wales has called for the drastic step of bringing in an English NHS team to take over the running of a troubled Welsh health board.
The Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government has rejected the proposal outright as it seeks to turn around Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which remains in special measures.
Reform MS Nigel Williams – representing Fflint Wrecsam – asked Senedd health minister and Gwynedd Maldwyn MS Mabon ap Gwynfor whether it was time to take extreme measures and put BCUHB under the control of a non-Welsh health board.
“You mentioned that all options are open,” he said. “Would you actually consider a takeover by a health board from outside of Wales?”
Mr ap Gwynfor swiftly dismissed the idea.
“No, I will not even countenance the idea of allowing a health board from outside of Wales to take over Betsi Cadwaladr, because they work to different rules and regulations,” he said.
“We’ve got devolution here. We’ve got our own pieces of legislation. The health board answers to this Senedd, to you, the people elected by the people of Wales.”
During the same debate he revealed he had put together an intensive support, recovery and turnaround team to take a hands-on approach to finally bringing BCUHB out of special measures and planned to launch a well-led review, led by a panel of health experts.
Now Reform UK Wales’ Shadow Counsel General Adrian Mason MS – who represents Clwyd – has doubled-down, urging the Welsh Government to seek outside help to speed up the process.
“Nothing about Betsi Cadwaladr’s performance is acceptable,” he said.
“Patients across North Wales have waited far too long for safe, timely and dependable healthcare, while dedicated frontline staff have been repeatedly let down by failures of leadership and governance.
“Nigel Williams MS was right to test the Minister’s claim that every option remained open.
“Devolution must never become an excuse for being insular. Mabon ap Gwynfor should bring in the very best clinical, operational and turnaround expertise available – from Wales, England, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
“Patients will not care where that expertise comes from – they care whether it saves lives and improves treatment.
“The United Kingdom is at its strongest when knowledge, experience and resources are shared. UK-wide cooperation does not weaken accountability in Wales – it should help Welsh Ministers deliver the services for which they are responsible.
“The Minister must publish the membership and terms of reference of his expert panel, establish measurable monthly targets for cancer treatment, ambulance handovers and long waits and state clearly what further intervention will follow if those targets are missed.
“Patients need a successful turnaround, not a constitutional bidding war. Bring in the best expertise from across the United Kingdom, keep accountability firmly with the Welsh Government, and judge the Minister on delivery.”
One of the names in the frame for Mr ap Gwynfor’s well-led expert panel is respected NHS troubleshooter Donna Ockenden.
The senior midwife has previously worked to resolve specific issues facing the North Wales health board and recently completed an inquiry into the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust that identified systemic failings in its maternity department going beck 16 years.
But Mr ap Gwynfor warned Senedd members she may not have the capacity to join the panel.
Conservative leader Darren Millar MS initially raised the prospect of Ms Ockenden being recruited to the panel.
“Are we going to involve Donna Ockenden in this work,” said Mr Millar. “There was a high level of confidence in Donna with the two reviews she’s already undertaken in North Wales and, very clearly, she has the expertise, she’s used it elsewhere across the UK to help turnaround.”
In response Mr Ap Gwynfor said he would be keen to get her involved – although it might not be possible.
“Donna has done a number of tremendous pieces of work here in Wales,” he said. In Betsi Cadwaladr, she looked at the Tawel Fan issue. Absolutely, I value the work that she’s done, and I will put her name forward to my officials to consider as part of the expert panel.
“I seriously can’t promise that she will accept or she’s even available, because you’ll know that she’s extremely busy at the moment.”
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Mabon is right and if Reform were serious about improving the outcomes within the Welsh NHS why did they block the supplementary budget ?
Welsh-hating Reform showing their true colours again.
Lying too, I’m doing hospital taxi duties at the mo, we, my elderly friend and I can’t fault the various depts. Perhaps if a MSF team could buddy up for a spell. Pleased Mabon is getting a handle on it, it could be the making of him…
BCUH was a disaster waiting to happen from day one. Large, based in Bangor away from the centre of population with a record of appointments of management that has wasted millions and provided little consistent direction.
Thing is, the health boards keep on failing. We are in a place that requires ‘drastic’. I don’t care if we learn from England or North Korea, if there are people out there who have the solutions then we have to listen. The senior management teams of our health boards are obv not up the job. Same with education, the economy etc. If things are going badly then we need to scour the globe for better ideas.
Helen, brave words, I’ve often wondered why out of every cancelled project a million pounds plus has gone into the pockets of people who create nothing and charge a fortune for it, they don’t have to perform, paid regardless, they have this country sewn up, always have, since even before the enlightenment…ask Iolo…
Consider every solicitor politician an exemplar…
I am surprised reform haven’t called for the senedd to also be replaced by an English team as well.
If looking abroad there are vastly more successful health systems to learn from. Meanwhile there must be opportunities to learn within Wales by rotating managers between boards to learn from what is already working better.
Tell him = test the constitutional limits of devolution by moving to an English constituency before running again for the Senedd
Don’t tell him = not actually living in Wales, never mind the constituency you supposedly represent, is a surefire way of disqualifying yourself
Does the NHS in England deliver exemplary performance? Patchy at best from what I’m told by contacts over the border. Reform sound like the old refrain that “you got to go to London for the best” which we know by now is pure unadulterated bollox. Our NHS will have to pull its own finger out and get some performance improvements within its constrained funding.