At the Senedd’s Health and Social Care Committee, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s interim chair, Dyfed Edwards said that making the changes required at Wales’ worst performing health board was “almost like creating a new health board”, would “probably” take five to ten years and that he did not “have a problem with that.”

Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for North Wales, Darren Millar MS said:

“This is an extraordinary admission.

“The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board already holds the record for being in special measures for longer than any organisation in the history of the NHS.

“While we all know that there are huge challenges to resolve, patients in North Wales cannot afford to wait up to another decade before they get the services they need. 

“It is abundantly clear that the Welsh Labour Government is failing people in North Wales and that their intervention arrangements aren’t working.”