Mark Drakeford responded to criticism from former chair of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in a heated debate in First Minister’s Questions.
The health board, which covers north Wales, was placed into special measures in February this year after a report by Audit Wales said the health board had “serious problems” and “fractured working relationships”.
It said some individuals challenged team members in way that was “perceived by some to be hostile and inappropriate”. This is the second time in five years that Betsi has been placed into special measures.
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The chair, vice-chair and independent board members have all agreed to step aside following the report. Mark Polin, the former chair of the health board, was one of those who stepped aside. Last week, he wrote an opinion piece alleging that the health board had escalated their concerns to the Welsh Government but they were “ignored”.
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, used all three of his questions at First Minister’s Questions this week to press Mr Drakeford on Polin’s letter.
“Concerns were raised by himself and the board members to the health minister and the director general of the NHS here in Wales, back in September, where he raised longstanding concerns and issues that simply went unaddressed. His words, not mine,” he said.
Mr Drakeford, however, was adamant that the concerns raised in September were not ignored by the Welsh Government.
He said: “I don't accept at all that those things went unnoticed because the Minister and officials were in very regular dialogue with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
“You don't discharge your responsibilities simply by telling somebody else that you've got a problem. To simply say 'We told the Welsh Government about that', as though that is the full extent of your responsibility, I simply don't think that that is the way the system is ever intended to operate.”
Mr RT Davies repeated the claims made by Polin in his letter.
“He [Polin] made, in his column in the press last week, that clear categorisation, that he was not getting the support from the Welsh Government,” he said.
Mr Drakeford said that the Welsh Government “took action time after time” to support the board.
He said the government had helped the board by providing an additional £82 million, professional advice, continuous monitoring of the board and the resources of the delivery unit.
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